I’ve wrote a couple of articles previously professing my love of this ridiculously friendly nation. In Myanmar’s current state, it’s an extremely affordable country to visit in some respects. The rising tourism industry leads some services to be extremely competitive while other sectors are still fairly limited.
In this budget overview, I’m going to advocate a leisurely visit so you can visit most of the tourist-accessible areas of Myanmar. Myanmar’s major sights can be seen in as little as two weeks, but it’s certainly more enjoyable to take three weeks and have a leisurely trip.
And for those future readers, please check the post date for this article. Myanmar is modernizing so fast that I doubt these prices will be accurate for long.
| Category | Expected Cost per Day |
| Alcohol | $1.00 |
| Entertainment | $6.50 |
| Food | $6.50 |
| Living | $2.00 |
| Lodging | $12.00 |
| Travel | $8.50 |
| Grand Total | $36.50 |
Table 1. Expected cost per day for a three week trip
Alcohol
So, you can stick to good old beer which will range you from 2500 MMK – 3500 MMK ($1.85 – $2.59). This price is pretty consistent across the country as are the rather large 22 oz. bottle sizes. The lower end beer like Dagon will cost 2500 MMK ($1.85) and the fancy Myanmar Beer will go for 3500 MMK ($2.59). For the relative cost of the country, this isn’t a great deal. To top it off, there isn’t much of a drinking/bar scene outside of the beer stations which are only frequented by local men
Since there’s little cultural reason to spend money at the bars, there’s a secret hidden in their liquor isle. The whiskey here is functional and dirt cheap. Sure maybe your hangover will be slightly worse than normal but you can’t argue with the price. For example, the ironically named High Class Whiskey, goes for 1000 MMK ($0.74) for a small 350 ml bottle. The average 350 ml bottle went for 1500 MMK ($1.11)!
Protip: High Class was still the best among the bottom of the barrel drinks.
You can always buy questionable moonshine from a lady in a mountain village
Entertainment
There’s quite a few different subcategories for entertainment. They can range from pretty darn expensive to a downright bargain.
Let’s start with a fun one, the betel leaf. These chewy delights are the opposite of healthy, but they seem to be a national pastime in Myanmar. They’re areca nuts, slaked lime and catechu wrapped in a betel leaf. It seems everyone chews them here and they are definitely not common in the western world. With the low price of 200 MMK ($0.15) for three, it’s no wonder why people chew these things nonstop.
The first significant entertainment expense will be those darn temple admittance fees. Unless you’re a Myanmar citizen, you’ve got to pay the tourist entry fee. Smaller temples usually cost around 3000 MMK ($2.22) but the famous ones like Shwedagon Pagoda will cost as much as 10000 MMK ($7.40). Still fairly cheap but quite a lot for Myanmar.
For the record, I don’t mind these fees to upkeep the temples, but it seems that the government is just overcharging us because we’re foreigners that can be taken advantage of. And if that’s not enough, you’re still solicited for donations inside the temples. But I’m not done. If you wear shoes (I’m sure 100% of people do), you’ll have to pay a shoe holding fee when you check in your shoes.
If we’re on the subject of the government enforcing extortionate entry fees, there’s also an even larger fee to visit their National Parks. Their two major sites are the temples of Bagan and the beautiful Inle Lake. These cost 25000 MMK ($18.50) and 13500 MMK ($10) respectively.
Lastly, there’ll be the cost for all the tours and guides you’ll have to sign up for. An all-day tuk-tuk ride in Dalah will cost roughly 30000 MMK ($22.20) for the entire car. Hiking from Kalah to Inle Lake or going on my recommended Shan State tour will cost somewhere between $20 – $30 a day (prices for tours are catered to tourists and often quoted in dollars). If you want to rent a car all day to take you around the city (since renting motorbikes are illegal to foreigners), with some bargaining, you can expect to pay $14 – $20 for the whole day.
It still costs money to get into the Jade Market and watch them carve jade
Food
Good thing the country is so affordable so you can go out and eat all of that…. mediocre Myanmar cuisine. Some of it is pretty dang good, but if I’ll be honest, the food did not really fit my palate. Much of their food is very salty or very oily. My favorite dishes there were due to the auspicious influence of either Central or East Asia, particularly Indian inspired curries or Chinese inspired noodles.
If you’re willing to brave the sanitary conditions, you can stop by the street vendors for fruits, noodle and rice dishes that cost as little as 500 MMK ($0.37). Of course you’ll need two or three of these to get full. Storefront restaurants meals consisting of an appetizer with a main course like biryani or Shan Noodles (absolutely wonderful) will cost somewhere between 1000 – 2000 MMK ($0.74 – $1.48).
If you want to have the décor of a cleaner western restaurant, expect to pay north of 2000 MMK ($1.48). The fancier restaurants in Yangon can cost between 10000 – 150000 MMK ($7.40 – $11.10) a meal, but that’s a great deal for that quality.
Another protip: White House BBQ in Mandalay. I’m mentioning this because it was the best two meals (yes, I ate there twice) in Myanmar. These skewers went for a ridiculous 1500 MMK ($1.11) a skewer of deliciously marinated meats and came with free soup. The staff was incredibly nice (and curious) and holy crap just go.
Fried crabs and fried shrimp cakes
Living
The first main cost you’ll accrue before even getting into the country will be your visa fees. This will cost a straight $50 and can be processed in a matter of days online.
If you want to stay connected (highly recommended), expect to spend 5000 MMK ($3.70) for a couple gigs of data for the cheapest plan.
Lastly, if you don’t feel like hand washing laundry, there’s plenty of laundromats in the tourist destinations. The lower end prices will cost 2000 MMK ($1.48) for a large load.
Lodging
While most things in Myanmar are very affordable, lodging isn’t one of them. The tourism industry is still gaining traction and with the government mandate requiring all tourists to stay in registered accommodations, you’re not left with many options. If you go off the beaten track, you can really expect to pay more.
For example, Myanmar’s new capital, Naypyidaw, is not a tourist destination and has very little to see. Some people just go to see the famously huge and absolutely deserted capital. This means you’ll incur a car rental to simply get around and another $40 a night just for the hotel room.
This applies to most cities off the tourist track. And yes, I’m aware you can probably find cheaper hotels, but trust me, you probably don’t want to do that. Most of the hostels in all the main tourist locations will run between 15000 – 20000 MMK ($11.10 – $14.80). While there’s not a lot of hostels to choose from, it seems like the ones that made it here are fairly well run. But when you consider two bowls of Shan Noodles cost 1000 MMK ($0.74), the price of a simple room is rather high.
Travel
Let’s start with intercity travel first. You can decide to do this the luxury way or do this on the cheap. Due to the limited airline providers in the country, domestic flights cost way too much money for how far you go. A flight between Mandalay and Yangon can cost upwards of $200, or usually around $150.
In comparison, a VIP sleeper bus with the extra wide seats, snacks, toothbrush and a small TV goes for 20000 MMK ($14.80). Of course, this takes considerably longer, with comparable distances taking anywhere from 8 – 10 hours.
Don’t forget about the transit costs you’ll incur depending on your destination. Many buses will drop you at the main station or on the outskirts of town and you still have to get to your accommodations.
For example, if you’re going to Inle Lake, you’ll most likely be staying in the town of Nyaungahwe, but the bus will drop you off in the neighboring village of Shwenyaung. I got a tuktuk for 6000 – 7000 MMK ($4.44 – $5.18) which can realistically be bargained down to 5000 MMK ($3.70) to ferry you between the towns.
When going to Kyaukeme, you get dropped off on the side of the highway, so you have to pay 1000 MMK ($0.74) that can bargained down to 500 MMK ($0.37) for the motorbike taxi to take you into town. These costs will vary greatly on your destination, so be prepared for these costs.
Public transportation is very limited in almost every Myanmar city, so unless you want to figure out their scant, infrequent and unintuitive transportation system, be prepared to shell out for taxis. Fortunately, these are also fairly affordable, going between 1000 – 2000 MMK ($1.11 – $1.48) for short jaunts. Even an extremely long trip from the airport to downtown which takes over an hour costs 8000 – 9000 MMK ($4.92 – $6.66).
Other than that, most cities are small and walkable. You’ll be able to rent electric scooters in Bagan and elsewhere, it’ll be short walks or tours.
Ferry from Yangon to Dalah also costs money for a tourist. Though it was impressive seeing the captain drift the shit out of the ferry
My Costs
For such a massive country and the vast variety of things that you can do, it’s an extremely affordable to do things and get around. I normally prefer independent travel, but in this case I didn’t mind paying more for day trips and tours as they let you glimpse another side of Myanmar that would otherwise be unviewable. What you get to see here is truly worth every penny and the time it takes to get there.
| Category | Cost per Day |
| Alcohol | $3.20 |
| Entertainment | $5.09 |
| Food | $15.23 |
| Living | $6.72 |
| Lodging | $2.04 |
| Travel | $22.91 |
| Grand Total | $55.18 |
Table 2. Actual cost per day over eighteen days
My budget is finally being brought back down to the $50 a day goal. My last stop is Vietnam, and with my previous experience there, reaching that budget should be no problem. I’m staying in Vietnam for the foreseeable future, so this will be the immediate end to my non-Vietnam related guides.
| Category | Total Running Cost per Day |
| Alcohol | $3.87 |
| Entertainment | $5.24 |
| Food | $11.69 |
| Living | $2.20 |
| Lodging | $16.64 |
| Travel | $12.02 |
| Grand Total | $51.66 |
Table 3. Running total after 185 days of traveling.
Stray Observations and Helpful Tips
- At a truly local Burmese restaurant, a jug of tea will always be present with the meal and should always be complimentary.
- Myanmar beer occasionally runs some promotions. If you pry off the rubber on the bottom of the cap, it reveals a word that can let you win another whole beer. You can redeem these at most beer stations and convenience stores. The win rate is surprisingly high, though I do think it’s funny how they add another vice on top of drinking.
- Burmese love sour food. Better prepare your palette.
- Thanaka is a face paint made from bark and is not only cultural, but very fashionable.
- Average Burmese makes 3600 MMK ($2.66) a day. It explains the low cost of living but isn’t quite enough for the average person even here…
Until next time.