What I actually spent in 18 months travelling South America
Every month from Buenos Aires to Florianópolis, with where I was and what I spent: £21,896 in total, about £1,216 a month.
“How much does it cost to travel South America?” is the number one question I get. So here is what I actually spent each month between April 2024 and September 2025.
I’m not sharing this to show off, or to say this is the “right” way to do it. I just don’t want to gatekeep, and I know how helpful real numbers are when you’re planning.
The short answer
- Total: £21,896.60 over 18 months
- Average: about £1,216.48 a month
- Most expensive month: £2,083.27 (January 2025, New Year in Bariloche)
- Cheapest months: the ones where I stayed in one place, like my second months in Medellín (£812.74), Rio (£817.90) and Lima (£889.76)
- Countries: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and Paraguay
April 2024 shows £301.71, but that number is wrong: I was paying almost entirely in cash that first month, so my app didn’t record most of it. I would estimate the real total was around $1,500.
Why your numbers could look very different
Travel costs vary a lot depending on lifestyle:
- I mostly travel slowly, staying weeks or months in one place.
- Some months I go on back-to-back tours or weekend trips. Other months are super chill, mostly working and not moving around much.
- Your spend could look very different depending on how fast you travel, what kind of accommodation you choose, how often you eat out and what experiences you prioritise.
Even with those ups and downs, my monthly spend ended up being fairly consistent overall. So take this as one honest example, not a universal rule.
Month by month
| Month | Where I was | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| April 2024 | Buenos Aires | £301.71 |
| May 2024 | Atacama, Santiago, Valparaíso, Salta | £719.84 |
| June 2024 | Bolivia, Cusco | £1,490.95 |
| July 2024 | Manu, Arequipa, Huacachina, Lima | £1,148.25 |
| August 2024 | Medellín, Cartagena, Santa Marta | £1,308.43 |
| September 2024 | Medellín | £1,368.11 |
| October 2024 | Medellín | £812.74 |
| November 2024 | Huaraz, Lima | £1,696.39 |
| December 2024 | Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza | £1,555.64 |
| January 2025 | Bariloche, Puerto Madryn | £2,083.27 |
| February 2025 | Lima, Máncora | £1,351.44 |
| March 2025 | Lima, Iquitos | £889.76 |
| April 2025 | Lima | £1,294.37 |
| May 2025 | Rio, Paraty, Ilha Grande | £1,300.82 |
| June 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | £817.90 |
| July 2025 | Buenos Aires, Iguazú, Asunción | £1,394.40 |
| August 2025 | São Paulo, Paraty, Rio, Florianópolis | £1,321.29 |
| September 2025 | Florianópolis | £1,041.29 |
| Total | 18 months | £21,896.60 |
What happened each month
April 2024 · £301.71
Buenos Aires. Super inaccurate estimate, as I was spending almost entirely in cash in my first month living in Buenos Aires. I would estimate totals are around $1,500 for the month.
May 2024 · £719.84
Atacama, Santiago, Valparaíso, Salta. A faster month: a long weekend in the Atacama desert, then Santiago and Valparaíso, and then I headed to Salta.
June 2024 · £1,490.95
Bolivia, Cusco. A week in Bolivia followed by a month living in Cusco: Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain and the Seven Lakes of Ausangate.
July 2024 · £1,148.25
Manu, Arequipa, Huacachina, Lima. A long weekend in Manu National Park. I then moved from Cusco to Arequipa to Huacachina, before arriving in Lima.
August 2024 · £1,308.43
Medellín, Cartagena, Santa Marta. Arrived in Colombia: a few days in Medellín before a trip to Cartagena and Santa Marta, then back to Medellín.
September 2024 · £1,368.11
Medellín. A chill month living in Medellín, visiting nearby towns at the weekends and dancing a lot of salsa.
October 2024 · £812.74
Medellín. Month two living in Medellín.
November 2024 · £1,696.39
Huaraz, Lima. Back to Peru: a few days trekking in Huaraz, then a week in Lima.
December 2024 · £1,555.64
Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza. Back to Argentina: my parents came to visit in Buenos Aires, I spent Christmas in Córdoba, and then headed to Mendoza for a few days.
January 2025 · £2,083.27
Bariloche, Puerto Madryn. New Year in Bariloche, followed by a few days in Puerto Madryn before heading back to Peru.
February 2025 · £1,351.44
Lima, Máncora. A chill month living in Lima, with a week-long trip to Máncora.
March 2025 · £889.76
Lima, Iquitos. My second month living in Lima, with just under a week in Iquitos for my birthday.
April 2025 · £1,294.37
Lima. My final month in Lima: a lot of good food and a pretty chill routine.
May 2025 · £1,300.82
Rio, Paraty, Ilha Grande. A month living in Rio, with a trip to Paraty and Ilha Grande.
June 2025 · £817.90
Rio de Janeiro. Month two living in Rio.
July 2025 · £1,394.40
Buenos Aires, Iguazú, Asunción. A chaotic month: a week in Buenos Aires, then Iguazú, and a weekend in Asunción.
August 2025 · £1,321.29
São Paulo, Paraty, Rio, Florianópolis. Another chaotic month: São Paulo, Paraty and Rio, before heading to Florianópolis.
September 2025 · £1,041.29
Florianópolis. My final month in South America: a month living in Floripa to relax for a bit after all the movement.
What I’d tell you if you’re planning
The pattern in my numbers is simple: the months I stayed put were the cheapest, and the months full of tours, flights and visits were the most expensive. If you want your money to last, slow down.
If you’re looking for ways to spend less, I’ve put all my favourite free and cheap tools in how I travel the world on a budget. And if you want to know which experiences were worth the splurge, here are my 10 South America experiences worth every penny.
