How to plan a trip to South America on a budget
Are you soon to be traveling to South America on a budget?
For many first-timers planning an epic South America trip, the first question usually asked is how to stay safe and how to save money on the road.
Both budget and safety are top priorities for backpackers, so we’ll do our best to explain the overall situation and give our tips on a country-by-country basis.
How to plan a trip to South America on a budget
The paradox lies in the fact that when we travel to South America on a budget, the aim is to save money, but scrimping and scraping inherently puts us in a risky situation because we tend to choose the budget option over everything.
It does not all have to be like this, especially when it comes to accommodation (for example) or doing tours where you’ll be flying off a paragliding somewhere. This is because you can be at your most vulnerable in both situations.
We believe it is smarter to know what to budget for, and where to spend that little bit extra, to be able to mitigate the safety risk in any one particular place.
Language and Currency
Let’s now look at some important elements of budgeting in backpacking South America that most travelers will need to consider at some point during their trip:
Language
It is no secret that Spanish is the dominant language of South America.
It’s the main language of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela.
The two exceptions (of countries we’ve covered in this guide) are Brazil who speak Portuguese, and Guyana whose mother tongue is English.
Another notable language is Guaraní, which once used by the indigenous tribes of Paraguay, is now also one of the country’s official languages (although not needed as most speak Spanish).
To be honest, you can get around somewhat comfortably with just English, especially in the bigger cities throughout South America like Rio de Janeiro and Lima.
However, knowing just a bit of Spanish will make the experience so much better (not just ease, but also being able to connect with locals).
Although Portuguese is Brazil’s tongue, most understand Spanish so you’ll somewhat be able to communicate and get both of your points across.
There are many indigenous languages also spoken here, most notably in the Andean regions as well as in Bolivia and Paraguay.
Some of the biggest and still-used today includes Quechua and Aymara. Brazil has the most indigenous languages of all South American countries, with a grand total of 177.
Currency
If you’re heading to South America, then be prepared for a myriad of confusing currencies and exchange rates!
Pretty much each country here uses a different currency, so you’ll need to adjust and work out your budget as you move along the backpacking trail.
Ecuador is the only country that uses $USD, and therefore is a lot easier to work out costs. Peru uses Soles; however Dollars are sometimes accepted and can be withdrawn from most ATM’s (similar with other countries too)
- Colombia uses Colombian Peso
- Bolivia uses Bolivian Peso
- Chile the Chilean Peso
- Argentina the Argentinean Peso
- Brazil the Real
- Paraguay the Guaraní
- Uruguay the Uruguayan Peso
- Guyana the Guyanese Dollar
Then of course we have Venezuela, who uses the Venezuelan Bolivar, which tends to be pretty confusing at best. They also widely use dollars, but you’ll need to bring them with you since it’s they are not available in ATM machines.
As all rates are constantly changing, we won’t bother listing them here. You can check currency sites such as XE who provide up-to-date and accurate exchange rates.
Getting Around South America
There are many ways of accessing South America, with the most popular by plane. The international hubs of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Lima are the easiest and often cheapest to fly into.
There’s a tonne of flights arriving and departing from these cities daily.
The other (more adventurous way) is arriving by sailboat into Colombia from Panama, which is one of our bucket list items in its own right.
If coming from Central America we would recommend this option, where you’ll spend 3 days crossing the Caribbean Sea and stopping off in the beautiful San Blas Islands along the way.
The only other way really is by cruise ships, which often depart from USA or Asia and have multiple stop-offs in the continent. As these are expensive and not part of the backpacking lifestyle, we won’t go into detail here.
Getting Around South America
South America is a mammoth of a continent.
Driving from Cartagena in the north of Colombia to Ushuaia in the extreme south of Patagonia would take over 6 days, non-stop!
Many who backpack South America with little preparation are slapped in the face when it comes to the distances between destinations, so we want to give you a more gentle one now so you can properly prepare.
Most of the countries are big in size, and whilst some roads are well-built, many are still lacking and often wind around huge mountains and jungles.
You can expect most bus rides to take between 3-8 hours between top destinations, although the long distance one’s like in Chile and Brazil can often take up to 24 hours. Get yo phone and laptop charged boi!
You can also take regional flights to speed things up. Some of these domestic flights within countries can be pretty cheap, especially in Peru from our experience. However if your budget is tight, then buses win 100% every time.
Costs and Budgeting
One of the most important factors to plan before heading off is your budget.
South America is one of the cheaper continents to backpack around, which is good as your money will go on for longer here (especially good considering the sheer size and amount of things to do and see).
Let’s take a look at how much things tend to be, as well as how to plan a both reasonable and realistic budget.
The costs we listed here as correct as of September 2021.
South America Travel Costs
Let’s take a look at the typical costs that you’ll be spending on a day to day basis in South America.
Remember these can and will vary depending on where you are!
- Average Dorm Bed = £4-10
- Private Single Room in a Hostel = £10-15
- A Street Food Dish = £1-2
- A Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant = £5-10
- Beer at a Local Bar or Dive = £0.50-£2.00
- Beer at a Touristy Bar = £2.50-3.50
For example, a town in the Bolivian highlands is going to be much, much cheaper than the popular cities of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.
South America Travel Budget
As previously mentioned, backpacking around South America is quite cheap.
All countries do vary in terms of budget needed, especially with Latin America’s infamous ability to be unstable both politically and economically.
For Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, the average backpacker will be spending roughly £25-30 a day. These are by far the more expensive countries to backpack around.
Whilst it’s definitely possible to spend less, the figure above takes into account average dorm bed rates, food as well as transport around cities within these countries.
The rest of these countries you can expect to spend around £20-25 per day.
These countries (especially Bolivia and Paraguay) tend to be poorer in areas, and also a lot cheaper compared with the previous ones.
It’s a lot easier to travel for longer in these countries, so factor more time in these countries to make the most of your journey in this continent.
South America Trip Planning
Whilst backpacking is definitely about being spontaneous and open to the new, solid planning beforehand really does go a long way.
Below we’ll go through some key things you should get sorted before heading out to South America.
What to Pack for South America?
I don’t know about you, but for us pulling out the ol’ backpack and preparing for a trip really gets the adrenaline going.
It’s here where things start to feel real, as you’ll start asking yourself questions like “What do I really need?” and “Will this shirt (or dress if you’re a woman) make me look the sexiest human in Colombia?”.
Hell we’re all human, and we’re here to have the best trip possible.
After you’ve looked at different countries in South America and decided where you want to head, now it’s time to get practical and look at what you need (NEED) not want. See this South America packing list for our best ideas.
For example, it’s probably a good idea to take that pair of hiking boots if planning on going to Patagonia instead of 4 different bathing suits.
One of my best tips that have helped us during planning is to first lay out what we want to take. Second is to divide into two piles; absolute essentials that we need, and others that we want.
Thirdly, add around 50% of the “others that I want” to your essential pile and start filling your backpack. Done.
Remember that whilst your backpack may feel empty this way, this is good as:
- a) You’ll need space for new souvenirs and things you pick up along the way and…
- b) it’s a pain trying to fit everything back in every time you move hostel, especially if in a rush.
Pack a range of clothes (as you’ve read, you’ll experience absolutely everything in terms of weather and temperature in South America).
See our much more detailed guide on the best time to visit South America for more ideas on what type of weather to expect depending on where you go.
Toiletries are also important, although try to pack liquids of less than 100ml, as this way you may be able to fly with just hand luggage saving you some dollar.
Other things to pack include your documents in a safe folder, a sleeping mattress, towels, electronics such as a laptop and some backup wallets and spare credit cards etc. High quality Hiking Boots are also an essential bring. We recommend these for men as well as these for women.
Injections
South America can be very poor in some areas, so whilst being cautious with food and drink whilst you’re there is important, even better is to get key vaccinations to avoid problems altogether.
Some injections that travelers tend to get before heading to South America include:
- Yellow Fever
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Rabies
- Tetanus
- Typhoid
- Cholera
However, please see your doctor as we are not medically trained or qualified to give advice. They’ll tell you exactly what you need for each specific country.
How to plan a trip to South America on a budget
Be sure to read our guide on backpacking South America for places to visit.
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