Cheapest Places to Travel to From Canada in 2020

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to travel the world. You learn about other cultures, see things from a new perspective and get to know more about yourself too. Unfortunately, international travel usually comes with a hefty price tag. However, there are plenty of destinations that can be within the average Canadian’s reach. To find the cheapest places to travel to from Canada in 2020, we used PriceofTravel’s backpacker index for world cities, which tells you how much you’ll need per day for a dorm bed, three budget meals, two public transportation rides, one paid attraction and three cheap beers. Then we added a budget for two weeks to the price of a return flight from Toronto in January 2020 as found through Expedia searches. All prices are in US dollars.

137 World cities ranked cheapest to most expensive: Backpacker Index for 2020

https://www.expedia.ca/

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Beijing, China (Total budget for two weeks: $1,241.56)

With a recommended minimum daily budget of $39.04, Beijing isn’t the cheapest city to visit but we found flights from Toronto for $695. The flight is long, though, so you may want to know how to how to score first-class upgrades even when you’re flying coach. The Chinese capital is full of must-see sights like Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, while the Great Wall of China is only a day trip away.

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Bucharest, Romania (Total budget for two weeks: $1,221.56)

The recommended minimum daily budget for a visit to Bucharest is $26.54 and we found flights from Toronto for $850. Among the sights in the Romanian capital is the world’s largest parliament building. A day trip from Bucharest is the little town of Snagov, where on an island in a lake you can find the grave of Vlad the Impaler, better known as Count Dracula.

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Krakow, Poland (Total budget for two weeks: $1,217.90)

You can get by on a budget of $29.85 a day in Krakow and we found flights from Toronto for $800. Krakow is one of the trendiest cities to visit in Eastern Europe. Its historic centre was the first city centre to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While Krakow is the gateway city to visit the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, within the city itself you can also visit Oskar Schindler’s factory.

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New Orleans, Louisiana (Total budget for two weeks: $1,217.40)

New Orleans is one of the world’s best places to celebrate Carnival — or Mardi Gras, as it’s called here. Visiting outside of this busy time will cost you less but you’ll still need a minimum daily budget of $71.60. However, we found flights from Toronto to New Orleans for only $215. If you can avoid the tourist traps, soaking up the sounds of the Big Easy won’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.

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Miami Beach, Florida (Total budget for two weeks: $1,213.50)

Considering you need a minimum budget of $73.40 to visit Miami Beach, it might not look like one of the cheapest destinations to visit from Canada. However, we found flights from Toronto to Miami International Airport for a mere $186. The main reasons to draw up your Florida packing list? Miami Beach is famed for its nightlife but during the day you can soak up the sun along with all the beautiful people.

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Washington, D.C. (Total budget for two weeks: $1,203)

You’ll need a minimum daily budget of $79.50 to visit the capital of the United States. However, we found flights from Toronto to Washington, D.C. for only $167. The great thing about coming to Washington is that most of the city’s more famous attractions are completely free to visit. Even the famed Fourth of July fireworks, which make this city one of the best places to visit in July, won’t cost you a cent to see.

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Sofia, Bulgaria (Total budget for two weeks: $1,190.12)

You can get by in Sofia on a minimum daily budget of $28.58 and we found flights from Toronto for $790. So why would you want to visit the Bulgarian capital? The city boasts a bit of everything, from Orthodox Churches and Roman amphitheatres to Communist-era monuments, lots of festivals, mineral baths and a ski resort just outside of town.

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Panama City, Panama (Total budget for two weeks: $1,135.40)

With a recommended minimum daily budget of $41.10, Panama City is actually one of the most expensive cities to visit in Central America. Still, we found flights from Toronto for $560 and living on less than $50 a day definitely won’t break the bank. Panama City makes a great base from which to explore attractions like the Panama Canal but is home to some gems in itself: for example, the Frank Gehry-designed Biomuseo.

If you're just down for a domestic flight, these are the cheapest places to travel to in Canada this year.

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Santiago, Chile (Total budget for two weeks: $1,112.48)

You can get by in Santiago with a budget of $27.32 per day and we found flights from Toronto for $730. The sprawling Chilean capital has many of its own charms but Santiago’s convenient location also makes it possible for you to go skiing and then hit the beach in the same day. The nearby Chilean winelands make for one of the most relaxing holiday spots to relieve your stress.

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Ambergris Caye, Belize (Total budget for two weeks: $1,088.30)

The little town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye isn’t the cheapest with a recommended minimum daily budget of $54.45. However, we found flights from Toronto to Belize City for only $326 and from there the island is an easy boat trip away. The main reasons to come to La Isla Bonita are to relax in the tropical breeze and to snorkel in the crystal clear waters.

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Cuzco, Peru (Total budget for two weeks: $1,033.06)

While most travellers use Cuzco as a stopping point on their way to Macchu Pichu, it would be a shame not to spend some time here. You can get by on a budget of $29.70 per day and we found flights from Toronto to Lima — a long but colourful bus ride away — for $616. Cuzco is home to Spanish colonial buildings sometimes built right on top of walls dating from the Inca Empire and is a great base for outdoor adventures in the region.

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Lima, Peru (Total budget for two weeks: $966.70)

The recommended minimum daily budget for a visit to Lima is $33.55 and we found flights from Toronto for $497. Some unique festivals make the capital of Peru one of the best places to travel in April but any time of year is a good time to enjoy the nightlife, surfing and the city’s many fascinating sights.

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Antigua, Guatemala (Total budget for two weeks: $958.90)

The Spanish colonial city of Antigua is one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala. You can get by here on $36.85 per day and we found flights from Toronto to nearby Guatemala City for $443. If you need a change from the cobbled streets and the views of active volcanoes, the stunning – and even cheaper — Lake Atitlán is only about three hours away.

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Mexico City, Mexico (Total budget for two weeks: $948.40)

Mexico is one of the world’s top LGBTQ+ friendly travel destinations and nowhere in the country is quite as welcoming of diversity as Mexico City. You can get by here on a daily budget of $31.10 and we found flights from Toronto for $513. The city is huge, with something for everyone, from incredible art and architecture to glitzy malls and tranquil parks.

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Cartagena, Colombia (Total budget for two weeks: $938.92)

Colombia was one of the cheapest countries to visit in 2018 and is still one of the most budget-friendly destinations in 2020. In the historic city of Cartagena, you’ll need a recommended minimum daily budget of $26.28 and we found flights from Toronto for $571. The city is full of Spanish colonial treasures but if the sweltering heat gets too much, there are some gorgeous beaches too.

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Santa Ana, El Salvador (Total budget for two weeks: $938.36)

Santa Ana makes for a relaxing alternative to frenetic San Salvador if you need a base from which to explore the many attractions of western El Salvador. These include volcanoes, highland villages, lakes and the Pompeii of the Americas, Joya de Cerén — one of the world’s little-known UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You’ll need a minimum daily budget of $32.24 and we found flights from Toronto to El Salvador for a mere $487.

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San José, Costa Rica (Total budget for two weeks: $891.04)

The capital of Costa Rica has plenty of fascinating museums and other sights but it’s mainly a base from which to have an eco-adventure in the rest of the country. For example, Limón Province, only a few hours away by bus, is one of the best places to visit in June because of the sea turtles coming to nest here. For San José, you’ll need a minimum daily budget of $32.86 and we found flights from Toronto for $431.

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Quito, Ecuador (Total budget for two weeks: $880.60)

To get by in Quito, you need a daily budget of only $21.90 and we found flights from Toronto for $574. Quito’s historic centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site the same year as Krakow’s: the first two cities in the world to receive this honour. Quito is also the highest capital city in the world.

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Granada, Nicaragua (Total budget for two weeks: $851.20)

The colonial city of Granada is probably the most beautiful city in Nicaragua. It boasts cobbled streets, lovely old churches and a stunning setting on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. You need only $20.30 per day to get by here and we found flights from Toronto to Managua, about an hour away, for $567.

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Cancún, Mexico (Total budget for two weeks: $701.60)

If you need to get away from the Canadian cities with the worst winters, Cancún is a destination that’s not only dirt cheap but also dirt cheap to get to. The recommended minimum daily budget here is $28.90 and we found flights from Toronto for only $297. Time your visit to avoid the spring break crowd and you may find even better all-inclusive package deals.