Disclaimer: I have yet to visit South America, this is a post based on my own experiences planning my backpacking trip, and a LOT of research!
I have never been backpacking before, and I decided to throw myself into the deep end by planning a trip of 3 months in South America by myself!
Today, I am going to share all of the useful information I have gathered during my research. Hopefully, it’ll mean you don’t have to do masses of research, and those new to backpacking will find this useful!
If you like tips like these, check out my post on how to plan a trip, how to decide where to go next and how to pick the best volunteering projects!
Click on the sections you would like to go to if you don’t want to read the whole post:
- Safety in South America
- Costs of Colombia
- Costs of Ecuador
- Costs of Peru
- Costs of Bolivia
- Costs of Chile
- Costs of Argentina
How to research a backpacking trip through South America
One of the most common phrases I have read during my research is ‘South America is a lot bigger than you would think’ and as someone new to backpacking, that can be daunting!
Researching safety tips
First and foremost, I read up about safety in South America. All of my family and friends said to me ‘But it’s not safe there, why would you want to go?’ – well that’s not true!
There are some places in South America I do recommend avoiding, one of which is Venezuela. I have a Venezuelan friend who went through the South American countries she has visited and pointed out where she felt safe, and where she didn’t. Obviously, everyone has different experiences, but as a South American, I trust her judgement.
I was also recommended to avoid Brazil, so there isn’t much information on here about that particular country.
After lots of research, I have compiled a list of safety tips!
- Don’t walk around at night. Either grab a taxi or a tuk tuk, even if it is 5 minutes down the road.
- Strap your backpack to the front of you. Pickpocketers thrive off tourists, so keep things zipped up.
- Never leave your bag unattended! Don’t put it in the overhead compartments on busses, leave it in between your legs where you can see it.
- Know the emergency numbers. Keep them in your phone, and written down in your bag (in case you lose your phone!). Not only can you use this to scare people away, but it also gives you a peace of mind.
- Don’t go to after parties at someone’s house
- Don’t flash your cash, or phone, or watch, or anything expensive! This follows on from the pickpocketing point. Not only does it make you a target, it also means people will raise their prices when they see you.
Average cost of backpacking different South America countries
As said previously, South America is huge! There is no set price for the whole continent, in fact prices vary throughout the countries. The trend is, cities are cheaper, and big tourist areas (like Iguazu Falls on the Brazil border) are incredibly expensive.
So, let’s go by country!
Colombia
Accommodation: dorm rooms vary between $3 – $14 (USD) depending on where you are staying. The lower end of the accommodation is in the big cities. Private hostels rooms can be $15 or higher. If you would rather stay in a budget hotel, you would be looking at $18 in cities and $36 by the coast.
Food: local restaurants and fast food places are typically $5 for a meal. However, if you prefer Western food then it’s almost double at $9 per meal.
If you are trying to cut down on costs, do food shops instead of eating out! Then you can cook your own food and save money.
A typical weekly food shop in Colombia is $34 per person.
A typical day in Colombia will cost a budget traveller around $48.
Ecuador
Accommodation: dorm rooms can vary between $3 – $8 in Ecuador, whereas private rooms in hostels are typically $12 per night. Once again, if you would rather stay in a budget hotel, it’s about $18 per night.
Food: as with Colombia, local restaurants are about $5 per meal, but mid-range Western meals are more expensive at $25 per meal.
A typical day in Ecuador will cost a budget traveller around $35.
If you are planning to visit the Galapagos Islands, expect your budget to grow by 10 times these amounts!
Peru
Accommodation: Peru is on the more expensive end of the scale, with dorm rooms costing approximately $7 per night and private rooms in hostels about $21.
Food: local restaurants cost between $4 and $7, while western foods are about $15.
A weekly food shop in Peru typically costs $45.
A daily budget of a backpacker in Peru is between $40 and $50.
Bolivia
Accommodation: dorm rooms usually start from $9 onwards.
Food: the cost of food here is mid-way between Colombia and Argentina, averaging at $6 per meal.
A typical budget traveller will spend $30 a day.
Chile
Chile is also very expensive, although not as bad as Peru.
Accommodation: dorms are typically $8 – $15 per night, with a private room in a hostel starting at $24. Budget hotels start at $30 per night.
Food: A set menu in Chile is approximately $7.
A weekly food shop in Chile is approximately $30.
A daily budget of a backpacker is $50.
Argentina
Accommodation: dorm rooms in big cities are as cheap as $4 per night, but can cost up to $20 in places like Iguazu Falls.
Food: Cafe’s can cost $2, while sit down meals are $12.
Weekly food shops in Argentina can be as low as $15.
Allow a daily budget of $40.
Don’t worry, there will be more!
I will be doing a second half of this post as there is so much to cover! Once published, I will link it there so it’s easy to find,
If you are still looking for more information, be sure to check out The Broke Backpacker or Nomadic Matt!
This is perfect! You’ll be able to come back and edit it after your trip to show which parts were how you expected. It’s super useful for the rest of us too. I was hoping to visit South America in December, but I am not sure if we will now with covid-19.
I hope you have an amaaazing time. I am sure you will!
Thank you so much! Yes I’ll certainly have lots to write about after the trip – I’ve got about a whole year of travel planned!
I hope you get the chance to go, guess you have to keep an eye on everything that’s going on
Good luck in South America! I’ve always wanted to visit so this post is super helpful to my very future planning (got to rehab my bank account after two years abroad first!)
No worries! I hope this post, and the one I’m in the middle of writing, are beneficial to you
This is a great guide! Your price estimates look about right to me, but I think budget travelers could actually spend even less depending on if they were moving around a lot or not. I’ve been to every country you’re looking at except Bolivia, and Colombia is probably my favorite. The people are just so friendly and the environments are gorgeous!
I will say that because I am currently “stuck” in Brazil, I can say that in my experience it is NOT the war-torn nation that many people think it is and that overall I have felt safer here than I did in places like Medellin (and in general, I still felt pretty safe there). Thanks to Bolsonaro the country is really struggling with COVID so now is not a good time to visit, but once the pandemic is over I highly recommend Brazil at some point even if you don’t do it on this backpacking trip! In other words, Venezuela is legitimately very dangerous (which many friends and acquaintances from there have confirmed), but in many ways Brazil kind of feels like a mix between Argentina and Mexico. I have not had any safety scares so far in the six months I’ve been here and have exercised normal precautions about not wandering into favelas or bad parts of town but also explored pretty freely on foot without feeling like I need to constantly watch my back. That’s just my two cents, obviously safety and risk tolerance is a highly personal decision. I also definitely recognize my male privilege when it comes to safety and solo travel.
With that said, I can’t wait to read about the trip when you’re able to go! Best of luck 🙂
Thank you so much for your advice! My friends who warned me not to go have had bad experiences in Brazil which obviously influences them but it’s great to know you’ve been there for a while and haven’t experienced any of that!
I would love to go at some point, but as you suggested, not as a backpacking trip and not solo
South America really does look huge! I am surprised you were recommended not to go to Brazil. Was that by your South American friend too? I knew parts of it were best avoided but I didn’t think it should be avoided all together, but it isn’t something I have researched much either! I would most like to visit Argentina as it looks so diverse. The Patagonia area looks absolutely incredible! After all this research I hope you get to go soon 🙂
It was recommended by my South American friend, yes. But I would love to go there at a later date with a friend, I wouldn’t feel comfortable going solo.
Yes Argentina looks incredible, but it’s the biggest country so long journeys to get places unless you want to fly, which is incredibly expensive
Wow, I am very jealous of your trip! I hope to go backpacking sometime in the near future, but it hasn’t happened yet. Will be interested in the next part of the post, and what your planned itinerary is!
I really hope you get the chance to!! I’m in the middle of writing it up now so should be up soon!
Great tips! I’ve been to Brazil, not as a backpacker though, and it was absolutely wonderful. We did keep in mind most of the safety tips you’ve mentioned and had a smooth trip.
I’m glad you have a great time! I think I’d love to visit Brazil with someone else
South America has some really exotic destinations that are on our bucket list, destinations like Peru and Colombia. This is a very concise and informative post for those plannning to backpack across South America.
Thank you very much! I’m hoping to cross lots off my bucket list while out here
This is so helpful! I don’t think it’s until you actually start planning a backpacking trip that you realise the HOURS of research that need to go in to it. Thankfully, I really enjoyed this process but I know lots of people find it tedious so i’m sure this will be so helpful for them.
I’ve really wanted to visit South America after watching the latest season of Race Across the World.
I’m watching that show right now! Everyone has been telling me to watch it and I’ve only just started which is such a shame.
Planning a trip is so exhausting but is also a great way to get excited for a trip!
There are so many South American countries I’d be interested to visit, but I’m actually worried about safety. This is the main reason for not having bene yet to be honest. My family’s originally from Suriname by the way, one of the countries located right above Brazil. It was a Dutch colony so they moved to the Netherlands where I was born 🙂 Perhaps I’d go there one day, but only if my mum was coming with me so she could tell me the stories of her life there when she was growing up. I hope your South America trip can happen in the near future! Thanks for sharing all the information you learned from your research 🙂
I do understand your concerns about safety, I have done masses of research surrounding the continent in general and with each country and city I plan to visit. That’s super interesting that you moved to the Netherlands and my family is moving out there next month! Have you got any places you recommend me visiting while out there?
South America must be a backpacker’s paradise. There are so many amazing places to see while backpacking that it simply impossible to decide where to go first.
It really was! Thankfully I have booked internships in certainly places and was able to plan my route around them
We have been to 4 of those countries and I hope your Spanish is good. We visited mostly touristy sites and got along with English fairly well, but keep in mind that people often do not speak English. Also, local transportation can be inexpensive, but seeing the major tourist sites are not necessarily cheap. You can, of course, hike up to Machu Picchu and not pay for the bus if you are well trained, but you will eventually need to pay for admission.
So, I wish you the best of luck.
Thank you very much! I have basic knowledge of Spanish but I will be taking lessons until I’m due to leave for the trip
When I was traveling in South America it was said that Argentina was the most expensive country, and I was surprised to see Chile, Columbia and Peru at the same daily price range.
Oh really! I didn’t know that Colombia was as expensive as Argentina, that’s great to know
We visited Peru and Bolivia a few years ago, and absolutely loved it! Now we’re looking forward to exploring Argentina and other parts of South America when it’s safe to travel there again. But since we don’t backpack anymore, and prefer to stay in more luxurious boutique hotels, do you happen to have any tips for Argentina?
Oh I’m very jealous! I haven’t researched luxury travel in Argentina but I’ve heard the best routes includes Iguazu Falls and Patagonia so be sure to check out those places!
I’d love to visit Argentina! It’s been my dream since the TV show Rebelde Way, don’t know if you remember it 🙂 Hope you’ll be able to realize this planned trip to South America and it gets to be amazing!
Thank you! I haven’t heard of that show before, I’ll have to check it out!
It would be so hard to decide which locations to visit- so many amazing places to see while backpacking!
It is super difficult! Especially when you’ve only got a short amount of time but it’s also worth it
I’m in the process of planning a trip to South America next year (if restrictions are lifted) – thanks for the tips!
I wish you the best of luck! I’ve got another part of this post coming out next Friday so hopefully that’ll help you out as well!