Best Countries for Solo Travel in 2026: Safe, Affordable Picks Ranked by Data

The best countries for solo travel in 2026 are Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Malaysia, Rwanda, Mauritius, Bulgaria, Taiwan and Japan. Each one scores at least 70/100 on Voyica's safety score, and costs run from about $520 a month in Dalat, Vietnam to about $1,111 in Hiroshima, Japan, which is also the safest pick at 86/100.

The method is simple. Solo travelers want two things: to feel safe walking home alone and to keep costs low, since nobody splits the rent with you. So we dropped every city scoring below 70 on Voyica's safety score (built from the Global Peace Index, US State Department advisories and the Numbeo Crime Index). We then picked the strongest city in each country that passed and ranked them from cheapest to most expensive by monthly cost for one person, including a one-bedroom outside the centre, using Numbeo and Expatistan data. The table below puts cost and safety side by side.

Solo travel at a glance: monthly cost vs. safety score

Source: Voyica city data (June 2026 snapshot). Monthly cost is Numbeo single-person living costs plus a one-bedroom rent outside the city centre; safety is Voyica's 0–100 score from Global Peace Index, Numbeo crime and US State Department data. See the Voyica Cost of Living Index for the full methodology.

The 10 best countries for solo travel, ranked cheapest first

1. Dalat, Vietnam

   This is the cheapest of the ten countries for solo travel, and it isn't close: about $520 a month all in, with a one-bedroom around $254. Dalat's safety score of 78/100 is also higher than several pricier picks. It sits in the Central Highlands, so it stays cool when the coast is sweltering. Food scores 82/100 (try bánh tráng nướng at the night market), and internet averages 164 Mbps if you want to work a few hours a day. The catch is English, at just 12/100, so download Google Translate's offline Vietnamese pack. US passport holders get 90 days visa-free. Buses from Ho Chi Minh City take most of a day, and flights are short.

2. Yogyakarta, Indonesia

   Yogyakarta costs about $671 a month, and its one-bedroom rent of about $168 is the lowest on this list. Safety is 72/100 and food is 82/100. It's Java's student and arts city, with Borobudur and Prambanan as easy day trips. That makes it a lot less of a party scene than Bali, which helps if you're solo and want to actually meet locals. Internet is slow at 24 Mbps, so it's not ideal for heavy remote work. Get around with Grab or Gojek motorbike taxis. You get 30 days visa-free, and Indonesia also offers a digital nomad visa.

3. Luang Prabang, Laos

   Luang Prabang ties Yogyakarta at about $671 a month and scores slightly better on safety at 74/100. The whole old town is a UNESCO site you can walk in twenty minutes. Days run on a slow loop: the dawn alms procession, Kuang Si waterfalls, then sunset on the Mekong. English is 12/100 and internet is 34 Mbps, so think of it as a reset stop, not a work base. It's on the Laos–China railway, which makes Vientiane and Vang Vieng easy. You get 30 days visa-free.

4. Siargao, Philippines

   For about $680 a month you get beaches rated 95/100, and English at 55/100, tied for the best on this list. That matters a lot when you're on your own and need directions, a doctor or a ferry change. Safety is 72/100. Siargao is a surf island, and General Luna's hostels and surf camps make it easy to fall in with a group. Internet is 27 Mbps. Book flights a few days ahead, since weather can cancel island hops. Peak surf and dry weather run from roughly August to November. You get 30 days visa-free.

5. Penang, Malaysia

   For most first-time solo travelers, Penang is the easiest pick on the list. It costs about $790 a month, safety is 82/100, English is 55/100, and food scores 92/100, the highest of the ten. Eating alone at George Town's hawker stalls is completely normal. Internet runs at 162 Mbps, and you get 90 days visa-free. If you want quieter beaches, Langkawi is a short ferry or flight away and scores even higher on safety (85/100).

6. Kigali, Rwanda

   Kigali is the outlier on this list, and the data backs it up. It scores 78/100 on safety for about $824 a month. It's famously clean and orderly, and moto-taxis with helmets are the standard way to get around. Food is the weak spot at 52/100. Spend a morning at the Kigali Genocide Memorial and use the city as a base for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, which is expensive, so budget for it separately. You get 30 days visa-free.

7. Port Louis, Mauritius

   Mauritius gives you island beaches (95/100) with a safety score of 78/100, for about $833 a month. English is 50/100, and you get 90 days visa-free. Port Louis is the capital and transport hub. For beach days, most solo travelers base themselves on the coast at Flic en Flac or Grand Baie and take the cheap public buses. Mauritius also has a digital nomad visa if you want to stay longer.

8. Bansko, Bulgaria

   Bansko is the European pick. It scores 80/100 on safety and costs about $849 a month, with a one-bedroom around $378. It's a ski town with a big remote-worker community, so co-working spaces and organised hikes make it easy to meet people even in the off-season. Food is 45/100, the lowest of the ten, though it's hearty. Internet is 62 Mbps. Buses from Sofia take about three hours. You get 90 days visa-free.

9. Kaohsiung, Taiwan

   Kaohsiung is one of the safest countries for solo travelers on this list at 85/100, and it costs about $1,056 a month. It also has the fastest internet of the ten at 260 Mbps, and food scores 88/100, with Liuhe Night Market as the classic first stop. The metro and light rail are simple to use, and high-speed rail reaches Taipei. English is 18/100, but signs are bilingual. You get 90 days visa-free.

10. Hiroshima, Japan

    Hiroshima is the most expensive pick at about $1,111 a month, but it's also the safest at 86/100. Rent is still low, around $226 for a one-bedroom. Food is 88/100 (get Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki), and internet is 230 Mbps. Ferries run to Miyajima, and the shinkansen reaches Osaka in under two hours. English is just 10/100, but Japan's transit and convenience stores make solo travel very easy anyway. You get 90 days visa-free.

Cost vs. safety: how to read the trade-off

The most expensive pick, Hiroshima, costs about $591 more a month than the cheapest, Dalat, or roughly twice as much. For that extra money you get 8 more points of safety (86 vs. 78). If your budget is tight, Dalat gives you the most safety per dollar. If safety comes first, Hiroshima, Kaohsiung (85) and Penang (82) lead the list.

A few popular solo destinations didn't make the cut. Chiang Mai scores 66/100 on safety and Ko Pha-ngan scores 65/100, so Thailand falls just below the floor in Voyica's data, as do Yerevan (68) and Essaouira (68). They're not dangerous, but they don't clear the bar we set. You can compare any of them directly, for example Chiang Mai vs. Penang.

Practical tips for traveling solo

• Watch your visa clock. Kigali, Yogyakarta, Luang Prabang and Siargao give US passports 30 days. The other six give 90 (per the Henley Passport Index). Check your own passport on Voyica's passport page.
• Pick a hub with English when you're tired. Penang and Siargao (both 55/100) are the easiest places to sort out a problem in English. In Dalat, Luang Prabang and Hiroshima, plan on using translation apps.
• Use ride-hailing apps after dark. Grab works across Southeast Asia, so there's no fare haggling and every trip is logged.
• Budget for the first week. The monthly figures assume a rented apartment. Hostels and short stays cost more per night, so your first week will cost more than the monthly average suggests.
• Get travel insurance. It matters more when you travel alone, because nobody else can handle paperwork if you're sick.