How to Travel 5 South American Countries for 6 Months on a $7,500 Budget

Many people have always been interested in the cost of traveling around the world. Today, I will briefly list the expenses for a six-month trip starting from landing in South America in February 2023. The costs include all transportation, accommodation, and entertainment. Since I temporarily settled in Ecuador at the end of August, the expenses from September onwards are not included in the travel budget.

In February, the total expenditure was 11,244. The main expense was on the flight tickets from Bali-Singapore-Miami-Santiago-Buenos Aires-Santiago, which was about 6,000. The rest was 1,500 for renting in Buenos Aires, 200 for a gym membership, 880 for an Argentine visa, and other expenses like food.

In March, the total expenditure was 10,150. This included 1,500 for renting in Buenos Aires, 200 for a gym membership, and the purchase of round-trip tickets from Buenos Aires to Bariloche and Ushuaia, as well as expenses for food, accommodation, and entertainment, and currency exchange.

In April, the total expenditure was 4,708. This month was mostly spent on various afternoon teas and dining out with friends.

In May, the total expenditure was 5,810. I arrived in Chile, where I stayed for free at a relative’s place for the first half of the month. I enjoyed eating, drinking, playing, and traveling by bus across Chile.

In June, the total expenditure was 9,943. I exchanged 7,000 RMB for US dollars; you wouldn’t believe it, but in Bolivia, I spent less than 3,000 RMB for the whole month, including food, accommodation, and entertainment. 😂😂 Bolivia is incredibly cheap.

In July, the total expenditure was 4,070. I arrived in Peru, where I didn’t spend any money on accommodation, staying with couchsurfing hosts. This 4,070 also includes 2,000 that I paid to someone else. The rest, including food, transportation, and shopping, only amounted to 2,000, and I even won four or five hundred at the casino.

In August, the total expenditure was 5,548. I arrived in Ecuador, where 1,000 was spent on getting a visa extension, and the rest was mainly spent on shopping. I didn’t spend any money on accommodation, staying with couchsurfing hosts.

From Chile onwards, the mode of transportation was always by bus, which was really cost-effective. From Chile to Ecuador, across four countries and more than 20 cities, the transportation cost was only about 2,000 RMB. If I had taken flights, it would have cost at least 20,000 RMB.

I’ve always felt that traveling is actually cheaper than settling down in China. When I lived in Guangzhou, I spent at least 10,000 RMB per month. Traveling around the world is much cheaper. For those with dreams, be brave and go see the world! Even if you run out of money on the road, we have hands and feet, so we won’t starve. 😏 While traveling, I also managed to take care of my fitness.