Mochilão pela América do Sul: quanto custa?

Backpack in South America: How much does it cost?

South America

How much does a backpack cost in South America? The question is not only worth a million because a smart backpacker would never pay so much. Backpacker, smart or not, rarely has so much money available. Except when the trip is through places like Indonesia, a country that makes everyone millionaire, but that’s another story.

Since I published a text with five suggestions of scripts through the Latin American world, 360 receives almost daily this same question: But what about there? How much does a backpack cost in South America?

The answer is not simple: it depends. A lot of things, including the kind of backpacker you are. Will you save to the limit, without paying accommodation, cooking at home and spending as little as possible? Then its price is one. Do you want backpacking, but don’t give up a little comfort? You will need more money. And it is still necessary to consider the countries that will be visited, which have completely different living costs.

If you can’t generalize, saying how much you’re going to spend, you can determine an average per country.

Also read: Complete Guide to Traveling in Latin America

Montevideo, Uruguay

Air tickets to a backpack in South America

The value of tickets to South America depends on a number of factors: time of year, where you will leave and what is your destination. Passates from São Paulo tend to be cheaper, especially for countries such as Argentina and Uruguay – it is not uncommon to find promotions in which everything goes for R $ 500, round trip, with fees. The price increases from other Brazilian capitals. It is also more expensive for destinations such as Colombia and Ecuador.

The most important tip in this subject, however, is another: buy a multi-destination passage. Suppose you are going to start the trip through Buenos Aires, Argentina, and finish by Lima, Peru. Does it make any sense to buy the return tickets to the capital of Argentina? Of course not. When opting for multi-destinations tickets, there is a great chance that you will save at the end of the operation.

It is simple to search for passages like this and several searchers offer the option of search by multidestinations, in which you can issue a ticket with more than one destination and even buy round trip from different cities.

More: Step by step to buy a multi-destination ticket

Calculate spending around R $ 1500 for a ticket like this, with going to one country and returning to another. You can get more expensive if you are in cities where flight offers are lower, you can be cheaper if you are in large capitals such as Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro.

Quanto custa um mochilão pela América do Sul:

The Peruvian Andes

Expenses with accommodation in a backpack in South America

For savings, stay in hostels. Preferably in collective dormitories, which are much cheaper. This rule only changes if you are traveling in larger groups of three, four or more people. Or, of course, if you decide to participate in couchsurfing, staying for free in the house of unknown people, experience that guarantees an incredible cultural exchange.

Will you pay for the lodging? So let’s go to the numbers, which are in dollars to keep the post always updated, avoiding glaring differences due to the exchange rate variation of the various countries.

See also: Tips for those who will stay in a hostel for the first time

In Brazil, the average price of a bed in a collective room is $15. It gets more expensive in hostels of very tourist cities, such as Rio de Janeiro – a bed in Ipanema can cost up to 25 dollars. Then the way out is to look for less trendy neighborhoods.

It can be cheaper in less touristic cities, such as Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte, or in more crowded rooms – in these cases there are options starting at 12 dollars. The good part is that, in general, the hostels in Brazil offer breakfast. And some of them even have a swimming pool.

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, a bed in a dormitory costs around 12 dollars. Just like in Brazil, it is cheaper in other cities – the Rivera Hostel in Cordoba has daily rates from 8 dollars. And look, Cordoba is the second largest city in Argentina, that is, it is far from being cheap. Mendoza prices are also in this range.

In Argentina it also pays to check the price of hotels, especially for couples or those who travel in pairs. For example, a two-person room at the Hotel Parada in Buenos Aires goes for $30, almost the same price as two beds in dormitories. Here are some tips for cheap accommodation in Buenos Aires

mendoza argentina

How much does a backpack cost in South America: cities like Mendoza, Argentina, are much cheaper than destinations in Patagonia, for example.

Uruguay has prices very similar to those in Brazil. A bed in a hostel dormitory in Montevideo costs around 14 dollars. There are more expensive options, in crowded neighborhoods, that go out for up to 18 dollars. But it is also possible to find hostels with daily rates of 10 dollars, most often in the city center. Cheap hotels and private rooms in hostels cost around 40 dollars (for two people).

Also with prices similar to Brazil: a daily rate in a collective room costs around $15. Can you pay less? Give it! And also to find even more salty daily. Like anywhere in the world, prices rise in more tourist cities. They fall in less crowded places in Chile.

There are few hostels in Asunción, Paraguay – the Booking lists only eight options. The good news is that prices are around $10, the lowest average so far.

In Lima, bed in dormitory costs, on average, 12 dollars. Already a private double room comes out for about 4 dollars. The average is the same in Cuzco, a mandatory stop in the country. A little higher prices in Aguas Calientes, a village where many people spend one night, all on account of Machu Picchu, which is nearby. But nothing that scares them.

Salinas de Maras, Peru

Salinas in the Sacred Valley, Peru

I found several nights of 8 dollars in La Paz, Bolivia, for beds in collective rooms. I found double rooms for 25 dollars – some even less than that. Prices are reinforced that this is one of the cheapest countries in Latin America.

A dormitory bed in Quito, Ecuador, costs around 12 dollars. Double rooms cost on average $25 but it is possible to find prices even better – on a quick search, I saw rooms for 20 dollars the couple. Needless to say, but come on: in Galapagos the prices are more salty.

In Bogotá the bed of a hostel dormitory costs around 10 dollars. Detail: I’ve come to find many options for less than that – up to $8! Honestly, much better than I expected. In Cartagena prices rise, of course, and are on average of 14 dollars for the fourth collective. The double room in Cartagena costs around $40.

Both Booking and Hostelbookers have very few accommodation options in Venezuela. The prices of a hostel bed are on average of 12 dollars per day.

How to save even more on hosting in South America

To save even more, consider participating in a Work Exchange program, that type of experience that you work a few hours a day in exchange for hosting. Although most people soon think of “work in a hostel”, there are numerous types of opportunities for the most diverse tastes: organic farms, NGOs, surf camps, language teaching and more.

In addition to cheapening the trip, this can also be a unique experience, almost a low cost exchange, which will provide you with a greater integration with the local community and other travelers like you. Here on the blog we are partners of World Packers and our readers have 10 dollars discount in the membership (which costs 49 dollars). Just apply the 360MERIDIAN coupon. Learn more here.

How much does it cost to feed in a backpack in South America

A great site for calculating the average cost of feeding around the world is Numbeo. We use the information available there to compile the examples below. And, of course, our personal experiences of travel in South America.

Meal at a budget restaurant, type self service: $5.50

Meal in a nice restaurant with dessert and drinks: US$ 25

Beer: US$ 3 (in a bar and, to facilitate comparison with other countries, of type litrão)

Bottle of Water: $ 0.70

Soft drink: US$1.09

Fast-food network combo: $6.45

Meal at a budget restaurant, type self service: US$ 5

Meal in a nice restaurant, with dessert and drinks: US$ 12

Beer (in a bar): US$ 6

Bottle of Water: $1.50

Soft drink (in Kioskos and bakeries): $1.50

Fast-food network combo: $9

Meal at a budget restaurant, type self service: US$ 5

Meal in a better restaurant, with dessert and drinks: US$ 20

Beer (in a bar): $2.50

Bottle of Water: $ 0.70

Soft drink: US$ 1

Fast-food network combo: $5.5

And note: Uruguay gives an 18% discount to any foreign tourist who pays the bills of restaurants with an international credit card.

Meal at a budget restaurant, self-service: US$ 5.51

Meal in a better restaurant, with dessert and drinks: US$ 15

Beer (in a bar): US$ 2.5

Bottle of Water: $0.7

Soft drink: US$1.07

Fast-food network combo: $4.8

Meal at a budget restaurant, type self-service: $3.5

Meal in a better restaurant, with dessert and drinks: US$ 11

Beer (in a bar): US$ 2

Bottle of water: $ 0.60

Coolant: $ 0.90

Fast-food network combo: $5

Meal at an economical restaurant, type self service: US$ 3.23

Meal in a better restaurant with dessert and drinks: US$ 12

Beer (in a bar): US$ 2

Bottle of Water: $0.65

Coolant: $ 0.90

Fast-food network combo: $5

Attention: What is expensive in Peru is the “Machu Picchu operation”, that is, pay for entrances, train, buses and even flights, if necessary, to the largest tourist point in the country.

Meal at a budget restaurant, type self-service: $2.20

Meal in a better restaurant, with dessert and drinks: US$ 8

Beer (in a bar): US$ 1.80

Bottle of water: $ 0.60

Soft drink: $ 0.80

Fast-food network combo: $5

Meal in a budget restaurant, type self-service: US$ 3

Meal in a better restaurant, with dessert and drinks: US$ 9

Beer (in a bar): US$ 2

Bottle of water: $ 0.60

Coolant: $ 0.85

Fast Food Combo: $5.90

Meal in a economy restaurant, type self service: US$ 3.20

Meal in a better restaurant with dessert and drinks: US$ 9.50

Beer (in a bar): US$ 2

Bottle of Water: $0.66

Soft drink: $ 0.70

Fast-food network combo: $5

As the 360 team has never been to Venezuela, the price list would be completely in the hands of Numbeo. And the truth is that the values provided there are kind of scary – I didn’t trust much, even taking into account that the country is living a delicate moment. Anyway, look at the information here. When in doubt, calculate budgets similar to those in surrounding countries.

Transport in and out of cities

Average price of public transport ticket in large cities. And remember: shoe sole doesn’t cost money. Apart from that a backpack is a good opportunity to let go of that serious relationship with sedentary lifestyle.

  • Brazil – US$ 1
  • Argentina – US$ 0.50
  • Uruguay – $0.92
  • Chile – US$ 1
  • Paraguay – US$ 0.50
  • Peru – $0.50
  • Bolivia – $0.30
  • Ecuador – $0.40
  • Colombia – $ 0.65
  • Venezuela – $0.80

Displacement between mainland cities

The lazyer your trip is, the cheaper the itinerary will be. Translating: many displacements make any backpacking. This is not to say that you should avoid them, but that it is always good to spend a few days in each city before you follow a trip.

When you decide to leave, prefer night trips by bus (or train) whenever the stretch takes six hours or more. So you avoid paying daily hostel/hotel that night, balancing this amount with the extra spend you will have with the ticket.

It is difficult to determine the price of displacements between cities, after all it depends on the distance. Calculate this expense after closing your script.

Tours and tours

Most of the time it is a museum entrance or the ticket of a tourist attraction, expenses that hardly exceed 10 dollars. But sometimes the tour is really expensive, for example, skiing in Chile. To do this you will have to pay the ski resort fee, rent equipment, pay for transportation and maybe even pay for beginner classes. A result? An expense that can reach the hundreds of dollars. By day.

Esquiar em Corralco, no Chile

How much does a backpacking in South America cost: walks like skiing the budget

Another example is Machu Picchu. When you put all the expenses at the tip of the pencil – park entrance, train, bus, hostel, transportation, tours and everything else – four days in that region can be as expensive as four days in Europe. And well above the average of the rest of Peru.

When organizing your trip, carefully study the prices that run from the curve. You don’t have to avoid these tours, but to find a way to all fit the budget. Often a more expensive day, which exceeds the spending limit, is compensated for three days more economical than expected. And those days are not so unusual.

After all, how much does a backpacking cost in South America?

Add the hostel’s daily, a simpler meal, tourist attractions, from time to time good restaurants, beers, transportation and commutes: the average spending for a backpack in South America is around 40 dollars a day.

Again, I said average. You can spend well less than that – I would spend less. There’s a backpacker that would spend half. But you can also spend much more, it depends on you, your travel style, the time of year and the countries visited. This includes everything except air tickets and travel insurance, which is always good to hire. By the way, in this text here we teach how to get insurance with the best cost / benefit, by searching simply among the best insurance companies in the market.

But after all, how much does a backpack cost for South America, with all the expenses added at the tip of the pencil? With everything we have already calculated, the spending of a 30-day trip through South America would be R$ 1000 of the ticket, R$ 300 of the insurance, plus 40 dollars per day, or 40 x 30 x 1200 dollars. In today’s quotation, 06/01/20, this gives around R $ 4900. Therefore, a good average of spending for a 30-day backpack in South America, including everything, is $ 6200.

Backpack in South America with little money: tips to save even more

  1. Enjoy the unfeared street food: all the countries of South America have a rich popular gastronomy and you can find it at very low prices in markets, tents and steers of all the major cities of the region. Take the opportunity to eat as the locals and still save a lot on meals.
  2. Prioritize the cheapest countries: As you have seen in this post, the cost of living among the countries of South America can vary greatly. You don’t have money? Then I get a tour with a lot of Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia and leave Chile and Uruguay for a next trip.
  3. Escape the capitals and hypados destinations: In general, the cost of living is much more expensive in large cities and tourist centers than in the interior of the country. Discover a completely different destination when moving away from these places, contact an authentic culture, still alive in the daily lives of people, experience the sympathy of the South American people at their maximum and still save a bit. A good idea is to look for cheaper equivalents to what you want to see. You want snow, for example? Cities like Mendoza, Argentina, are much cheaper than hypados destinations in Patagonia, such as Puerto Varas and Bariloche.
  4. Travel by bus: As the distances are large and low cost companies are not so common here in the south, a tip to save on the trips is traveling by bus instead of plane. In general, the vehicles are comfortable, but the hours we spend sitting in the armchair are long. It all pays off when we reach the final destination, right?
  5. Avoid hotels: In addition to the traditional backpacker hostels, the entire South America is full of family accommodation options such as landslides, homestays and bed & breakfasts for those who want a cozy option without paying much or surrender to the collective rooms. In addition, you have the chance to meet the owners and ask for travel tips that only a local resident could give you.

All travel tips in South America, country by country

What about you? Have you molyzed in South America? Tell us what was your travel budget.

See the life of Backpack: how it is to cross Latin America without using airplane see.

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