How Much Did 5 Months Travelling in South America Cost
South America was full of amazing experiences which I’ll never forget. From the near death sailboat ride to Colombia to seeing the unique creatures of Galapagos to mountain climbing in Bolivia it was all so worth it. That being said, almost none of the activities I did were free, other than lazing in a hammock and reading a book. In any case, here’s a breakdown for you would-be travellers on what it cost me to travel around South America for 5 months (in USD).
| Reason | Cost | % of Total |
| Flights | 705.16 | 9.62% |
| Sailboat from Panama | 550.00 | 7.50% |
| Accommodation | 1086.85 | 14.83% |
| Eating Out | 1555.89 | 21.23% |
| Groceries | 377.66 | 5.15% |
| Tours & Fees | 749.99 | 10.23% |
| Booze | 756.81 | 10.32% |
| Bus Rides | 598.19 | 8.16% |
| Surfing and Biking | 256.41 | 3.50% |
| Scuba and Snorkeling | 200.00 | 2.73% |
| Taxis | 116.19 | 1.59% |
| Boats and Ferries | 100.54 | 1.37% |
| Train Rides | 34.77 | 0.47% |
| Laundry | 30.52 | 0.42% |
| Other expenses | 211.04 | 2.88% |
| Grand Total | 7330.02 | 100.00% |
So there you have it. Over 5 months, I spent a grand total of $7330.02, which is really not bad at all at 1466 per month. That includes all my food, drinks, activities, transportation, and accommodation. And if you subtract the nearly 1000 spent on the Galapagos trip, that brings my monthly average down to 1266 per month. That’s cheaper than what most people pay for rent in NYC!
NYC has some of the highest buildings and rents in the world
So if you thought that long term travel was just a pipe dream that you couldn’t afford, hopefully this breakdown shows you that it really isn’t. Provided you have a job and a passion to go travel I think you can find a way to do a big trip. It’s time to stop dreaming and start saving!
