Myanmar on a Budget

Like any city in the world, Yangon can be both cheap and expensive. You just have to know the where, what and how to make your visit memorable and within your budget. And for those who have limited budget, Yangon is good for you.

Perhaps the most expensive part of the trip is the airfare. There are not so many airlines traveling to Yangon so prices may not be as cheap as other cities. Good news is, there are budget airlines that fly to Yangon. From Manila, we took Tigerair to Yangon with a stopover in Singapore. There are several hotels too, from the cheap bed space to luxury rooms. Fortunately, you can already reserve and purchase your hotel bookings online. We did our hotel booking via www.agoda.com.

Here's a guide to the expenses incurred during our trip. These are estimates only and may change depending on the season and other factors.

Airfare- P12,000 ($268) Manila to Yangon roundtrip
Hotel- P1,000 ($22)/ per night/per person. We chose a simple hotel with free breakfast & wifi
Meal- P120-160 ($3-4) This is already a big meal at a decent restaurant
Taxi- P120-160 ($3-4) This is within city limits. Airport to downtown is P400 ($9)
Pagoda- P120-350 ($3-8) Most are actually for free, but there are some that ask for donation

If you want an even cheaper stay, there are various alternatives. Drinks along the road (soda, coconut juice, etc) would be about P13-20 ($0.30-40). There are also soups and other food sold along the road. Snacks like donuts would be about P20 ($0.40). Walking is also a good option, so you can explore up close the streets of Yangon. You can also go to grocery stores for chips and other food. There are no 24-hour convenience stores in Yangon, for now.

Excluding airfare and hotel which I bought online, I only spent about P4,500 ($100) for my 3 nights/4 days stay in Myanmar. I exchanged only $100 at the airport and never exchange currency again during the duration of the trip. The amount already includes our sidetrip to Bagan, all food, transportation and even the longyi I bought.

Like any ASEAN city, sidewalk vendors are plenty

Small chairs and tables along the road are everywhere in Yangon

Don't forget to try the Myanmar Beer! :-)

For more information about Myanmar, read the other blog posts on the topic.
Part 1: Trip to Myanmar 2014
Part 2: Myanmar on a Budget
Part 3: Amazing Journey to the Ancient City of Bagan