Before I started my adventure, a lot of people warned me that world travel was not cheap. I agreed. But now I’ve changed my mind, just a little bit.

From the sanctuary of my sister’s apartment in Abu Dhabi, I’ve plucked up the courage to check my finances and have come to the conclusion that by travelling for the last fifteen months, I’m probably somewhat better-off that I would have been had I continued to live in London, working my old job and living my old life. I’ve had no income to speak of during my journey and, whilst we’ve certainly tried to keep our main costs of accommodation, food and transport down to the ‘budget’ sections of the Lonely Planet, we’ve certainly not scrimped when it comes to the many activities that we’ve experienced. So how can I possibly claim that travelling is cheap?

It’s not. It’s just cheaper than the alternative: staying put. I’ll give you an example: After mortgage costs, maintenance and bills, our apartment in Crystal Palace cost me about £50/night for us to stay there. Contrast this with the Five Dollar Tent, which I reckon cost us on average less than a fiver. Food, both from a supermarket and in a restaurant, was cheaper too. Sometimes, way cheaper. Whilst we constantly bemoaned that all backpacker tourist activities start at $100 in Africa, my bet is that in Britain every one of these experiences would cost upwards of £100 — double at recent exchange rates. Generally, bus, taxi, hire-car and fuel costs less too (notwithstanding Zambia, in which petrol is even more expensive than in Britain!)

Yes, yes, of course the apartment gave us way more space, comfort and sanity than our compact and bijou tent, but cost-vs-cost you can’t argue that the tent was cheaper. And so too was every single hotel and hostel — even the relatively expensive ones. True, the quality of the food both at supermarkets and most–not all–restaurants we experienced was not up that which is widely available in Blightly. And most the public and private transport is mostly filthy, not to mention a tad (a tad!) dangerous at times. But it’s still a lot cheaper.

I’ve been following the recent global economic crisis and stock markets with horror (as have most, I’m sure) as they plunge lower and lower taking my property values, life’s savings, ISAs and pension with them. But I’ve realised this: had I continued to live my old life and work my old job to date, I’d have continued to “invest” a large proportion of my monthly income in the markets — and that money would be worth very little at today’s prices. In fact, the decrease in cash value of my investments since we started travel is over double the amount that Claire and I have jointly spent travelling thus far.

So it seems, using my admittedly “African Logic”, world travel is cheap*.

* Just so long as you don’t go to anywhere in Europe, United States or Japan. Or Iceland, for that matter.

PS: I really hope that all of you back home, whom I miss dearly, are keeping your heads above water in this recession — here’s hoping that some good comes of it eventually. I’d love to hear from you — leave a comment below and share what’s going on.