International travel doesn't need to be expensive. In fact, if you pick your destination properly you'll be able to live at a much higher quality lifestyle than you can Stateside without spending any longer money than you'd fork out for an average weekend of forgettable nonsense at your usual low-rent haunts.If you are in the mood for some low-cost travelling that will not leave you broke, consider the following awesome cheap places to go to.Berlin, GermanyBerlin has held the title as Europe's premier low-cost capital for nearly two decades now. Despite being the administrative centre city of the world's third largest industrial power, the fall of the wall back the late 1980's set the stage for an affordable international party hub. During Berlin's half-century of schism the Soviets just couldn't stop building unnecessary new neighborhoods and utility buildings in the East and which means even today East Berlin continues to loosen up in a nearly endless sprawl of city blocks slowly being transformed by artists, immigrants, and a person with a dream and a lack of capital to create it happen elsewhere. Cheap housing = cheap everything, and it's really easy to have a really world-class night out for $30 USD (?23 euros, �18.50 British pounds) or less.Porto, PortugalLisbon is cheap, but Porto puts Portugal's capital to shame, particularly if you go through the off-season. You will find great lodging in Porto for $10-$15 (?8-?12, �4.50-�9) a night, a fantastic lunch of seafood caught right outside town for $5 and massive dinners of grilled octopus, loads of salt cod and all the vegetables and buttered potatoes it is possible to eat for no more than $10 a head. Cheap tours of the local Port cellars (filled with buzz-inducing tastings), trips up the Douro river to visit a number of the world's most gorgeous vineyards and the natural beauty of the city's rocky terrain and expansive beach make Porto one of Europe's hidden treasures.GreeceIt's important to note, very quickly, that economic instability in safe, developed countries is every budget traveller's dream. The bigger a country's economic crisis the cheaper and cheaper it becomes to spend some quality time exploring its shores. That is true both when it comes to daily living also to actually reaching countries experiencing crisis, as locales taking a beating tend to bend over backwards on airfare to get people to continue steadily to visit them (i.e. Japan post-Tsunami).It isn't exploitative to call home it up in a country like Greece while they're experiencing some economic turmoil. In fact, there are few more positive actions you can take for these countries than going to them and spending a bunch of money on local services and products. Assisting to stimulate local economies while living like (polite) royalty is the definition of a win-win.Buenos Aires, ArgentinaA perennial favorite, Buenos Aires (a.k.a. BsAs) houses more travellers and ex-pats than any city in South America, and once and for all reason. Modern BsAs is the result of a mix of about a half-dozen different European and South American cultures meaning the food, architecture, attitude, and vibe of the town strikes the right chord between the foreign and the familiar. Want another positive good thing about the city's mixed pedigree? You can find almost anything you could ever want there, including plenty of English speakers to get your way around. Add on other positives like the city's love of dance and a resident daily diet consisting mainly of gelato (ice cream) and the world's best grass-fed beef and BsAs will be a steal at any price. The fact you'll get the equivalent worth of $4 for each and every one US dollar you spend makes visiting BsAs a no-brainer for the wise budget-conscious traveller.Central AmericaAs great as Buenos Aires may be when you're looking to live large on the cheap, the town has one daunting downside that may prevent you from living up your tango-dancing dreams. This is the fact BsAs sits at the absolute end of the world, down at the southern part of the South American continent. It could as well be a short boat ride from the glaciers of the South Pole. BsAs' distance means it can be a bit expensive to fly to, and spending $1,000-$2,000 US for a round trip ticket won't strike the average individual as a cheap trip, no matter how cost-effective the end destination may be.But Panama, besides other relatively stable and safe Central American countries like Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras are inexpensive to enjoy and cheap to fly to, even from the northern United States. A two-second search on Kayak just revealed I possibly could purchase a round-trip ticket from New York City to Panama City, leaving next week believe it or not, for $301. Unlike Costa Rica and Guatemala, Panama remains a concealed treasure, offering inexpensive amenities and entertainment, endless natural splendor, and a decidedly welcome lack of tourists.ThailandIf there's one budget travel destination more famous and well-trafficked than Buenos Aires it's Thailand. Bangkok has long been considered the destination for a traveller to live like a little prince without breaking the bank, providing quick access to every sensual pleasure you can ever want at a bargain. So when I say every sensual pleasure I really do mean every. Great local food for under $1 US a plate, hour-long massages on the beach for $12 US, and yes, whatever sex you could ever dream of. You don't need to look for sexual experiences when you visit Bangkok to possess a good time, not in the least, but you can't really mention Thailand's best-known destination without at the very least tipping your hat to its status as the world capital of sex tourism.If you're interested in a lower-key, but still inexpensive and traveller-friendly corner of Thailand, you need to visit Chiang Mai. At Chiang Mai you will discover an abundance of travellers and ex-pats interested in living a less wild expression of the nice life while still getting an authentically Thai experience.And if Thailand is too popular for your desires, nearby Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia offer their own low-cost traveller-friendly pleasures.Think North AmericanYou don't always need to travel overseas to open yourself up to new experiences, to regain just a little perspective on your life and to rewire your perspective on the planet. I currently reside in North America and while I've been luckily enough to go to various far-off corners of the world, I've stumbled upon a few of my most significant revelations and enjoyed a few of my most life-changing experiences travelling in this continent.The warmth of a bank teller in Knoxville, Tennessee, once dissolved my encrusted cynicism as powerfully because the kindness of strangers located half the planet away. Visiting the West Coast for a few months was a more impressive culture shock than visiting Berlin, and spending a couple of days within my friend's cabin in Central Pennsylvania always acts as a robust system-reset rather than costs me more than an all-inclusive $60 (?48 euros, �27 pounds).International travel does offer its own unique group of circumstance and environmental cues that cause personal growth in a way domestic travel doesn't always achieve, but don't assume you need to jet away to find the break from everyday activity you crave.Allen Routledge is a backpacking travel veteran with extensive experience 'on the road' in Europe, Australasia, and the Americas. Read other articles about his personal experiences and practical travel information at http://omnitraveller.com.