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7 Countries You Can Visit for < $1,000 All‑In from LAX (2025 Edition)
One‑week sample budgets, shoulder‑season pricing, and exactly how to keep each trip under four digits.
1 — Mexico City, Mexico 🥑🌮
Why go
Street‑food heaven, world‑class museums (many free Sundays), and $0.24 tacos that fuel long walking tours.
Sample budget (USD)
| Sample Budget | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flight LAX ⇄ MEX | $281 |
| Hostel 7 nts (@ $14) | $98 |
| Metro/BRT card + buses | $20 |
| Food (avg $20/day) | $140 |
| Museums & Lucha Libre | $50 |
| Buffer | $70 |
| Total | $589 |
Money‑savers
- Buy a Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada card and ride all metro lines for $0.30.
- Free museum day: many national museums are gratis on Sundays—plan accordingly.
- Eat menú del día lunches (~$4 for soup, main, agua fresca).
2 — Antigua & Lake Atitlán, Guatemala ⛺️🛶
7‑day spend
| Sample Budget | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flight | $235 |
| Hostel 7 nts (@ $20) | $140 |
| Shuttles (GUA↔️Antigua↔️Panajachel) | $35 |
| Food & coffee | $105 |
| Volcano Acatenango overnight trek | $60 |
| Buffer | $75 |
| Total | $650 → $590 (skip volcano) |
Tip: Book shuttles at the local agencies, not online—they’re $5‑7 vs. the $20 web rate.
3 — Medellín, Colombia 🌿☕️
| Sample Budget | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flight | $366 expedia |
| Hostel 7 nts (@ $14) | $98 |
| Metro card + cable cars | $18 |
| Food (menú del día @$4) | $112 |
| Guatapé day trip | $40 |
| Coffee farm tour | $30 |
| Buffer | $90 |
| Total | $694 |
Money‑savers
- Grab a Cívica metro card; transfers to the Metrocable are included.
- Monday‑to‑Thursday hostel beds drop 20 % compared with weekends—shift dates if you can.
4 — San José + La Fortuna, Costa Rica 🐒🌋
| Sample Budget | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flight | $303 Orbitz.com |
| Hostel 3 nts San José @ $15 + 4 nts La Fortuna @ $12 | $109 |
| Inter‑city buses/shuttles | $40 |
| Food (sodas & hostel kitchens) | $105 |
| Hot‑spring pass + waterfall entry | $60 |
| Buffer | $60 |
| Total | $677 |
Pro tip: Eat at neighborhood sodas (set meals ~ $5) and skip pricey tourist restaurants.
5 — Lima & Cusco, Peru 🦙🍲
| Sample Budget | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flight LAX ⇄ LIM | $499 expedia |
| Hostel 4 nts Lima @ $11 + 3 nts Cusco @ $15 | $78 |
| Bus Lima→Cusco | $35 |
| Food (ceviche & menu ejecutivo) | $105 |
| Machu Picchu “Montana” circuit* | $120 |
| Buffer | $110 |
| Total | $947 |
*Skip Machu Picchu and you’re under $830, but it’s the bucket‑list splurge that still keeps the week below $1 k.
6 — Quito & Otavalo, Ecuador 🏔️🪘
| Sample Budget | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flight | $415 expedia |
| Hostel 7 nts (@ $12) | $84 |
| Food (almuerzos @$4) | $112 |
| Buses + Teleférico cable car | $30 |
| Otavalo Saturday market day trip | $30 |
| Buffer | $78 |
| Total | $749 |
Why it shines: US‑dollar economy (no FX fees) and $0.35 city buses mean your wallet stays happy.
7 — Lisbon, Portugal 🥘🌊
Yes, you can cross the Atlantic and stay under a grand—thanks to TAP’s regular West‑Coast promos.
| Sample Budget | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flight | $545 expedia |
| Hostel 7 nts (@ $30) | $210 |
| 3‑day transit pass | $22 |
| Pastéis + bifanas + groceries | $120 |
| Sintra day trip (train + Palácio) | $48 |
| Buffer | $50 |
| Total | $995 |
Stretch your euros
- Lunch prato do dia menus (€8‑10) fill you up for hours.
- Many museums are free every first Sunday of the month—plan sightseeing accordingly.
How to snag these prices
- Set Google Flights price alerts 2‑6 months out; shoulder‑season dips are real.
- Book hostels directly (Hostelworld rates + 10 % fee can add up).
- Leverage no‑fee cards to dodge foreign transaction surcharges—see our Money pillar for picks.
- Travel with a 40 L carry‑on to skip checked‑bag fees that blow the $1 k cap.
- Bundle excursions on site, not online—street agencies undercut web prices by 20‑40 %.
Ready to roll?
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