The Cost Of Bike Touring: South America

How much will an independent bike tour cost?

In South America, it really depends on where you’re going. Brazil is relatively expensive. Bolivia is far cheaper.

Scroll down to read about bike tourists who’ve recently been there, and their experiences.

***

The Cyclist & The Trip: Paddy & Laura cycled 15,000 miles around South America in 2011 and 2012. They are picky when it comes to stealth camping and don’t like to set their tent up near roads, so they often sleep in hotels or hostels.

Paddy & Laura

The Cost: Anywhere from $15-25 U.S. per person, per day or $1,000-1,400 U.S. a month.

What we actually spend varies drastically depending on where we are in South America. Brazil was very expensive whilst Bolivia was significantly cheaper. In terms of food, we don’t eat in restaurants that often as we have a stove where we cook can something cheap and healthy ourselves. This was essential in Argentina and Brazil, where eating out was expensive, but since Bolivia we’ve found that roadside restaurants do a really cheap lunch which is cheaper than making something ourselves.

Tips: “Staying with Couchsurfing and WarmShowers hosts in big cities has saved money on accommodation, but more than that it has been a great way to meet local people and learn more about the places we have visited.”

***

The Cyclist & The Trip: Harriet & Neil spent 19 months cycling around South America from September 2009 to March 2011. They love remote routes and enjoy wild camping but always reward themselves with a bed and some tasty treats when they reach a town.

Neil and Harriet

The Cost: They spent $8-10 U.S. per person, per day in Bolivia and Peru. In Argentina and Chile, the cost was $17-20 U.S. per day. Brazil was the most expensive at $27 U.S. per day.

In Bolivia and Peru, accommodation was cheap. We camped only a third of the time and ate set meals in restaurants. In Argentina and Chile we camped two out of every three nights and rarely ate out. Chile is more expensive than Argentina but we treated ourselves to fewer luxuries there to keep costs down. In Brazil, it was hard to find wild campsites and we often had to resort to staying in hotels and eating out in restaurants.

Tips: They have lots of tips!

Bolivia & Peru – “Set meals are a great deal generally costing about $2 U.S. for 2 courses which is often less than you can cook a meal for just look out for ‘Almuerzo’ (lunch) or ‘Cena’ (dinner) signs.”

Argentina – “We think facturas (pastries) at Argentine bakeries are excellent value. A dozen only cost about $3 U.S. and they’ll help you from getting too skinny.”

Chile – “Internet cafes are quite expensive but there is free internet at all public libraries and even if a town looks very run down it probably has a library.”

Brazil – “You can often get a free shower at Petrobras petrol stations.”

***

Can You Help?
Keeping these sections up-to-date and adding new sections relies on the community. That’s you!

If you’ve recently been on tour and can tell us about your daily budget, please Get In Touch and share your answers to these 3 basic questions:

1. What did you spend per person, per day on average? This is for daily expenses like food, hotels, public transport within a country but not exceptional extras like bike repair, flights to/from the country.

2. Can you briefly describe your style of travel? Are you ultra low budget (e.g. a devoted wild camper, cook all your own food) or more medium budget (e.g. will occasionally splash out on a hotel, meal in restaurant)?

3. Any tips you want to share related to costs in this region? Was something particularly cheap or expensive? How would you recommend others save money?

We’ll add your answers to the relevant page, along with a photo of you on tour and a link to your bike touring blog (if you have one). Thanks!

Comments

  1. brooke
    17th January 2014 at 8:05 pm #

    do you think it would make sense to buy a bike in Uruguay? or bring it?

  2. atthias Richter
    30th May 2016 at 7:42 pm #

    Hi everybody,

    I plan a tour from Caracas to Kap Hoorn this summer. Is there anyone with experience who wants to join me?
    Feel free to contact me.
    [email protected]

    salusos
    Matias

    • carlos touringbikerental
      26th September 2016 at 2:59 am #

      At this moment to even get elemental stuff in Venezuela , you have to spend hours in line . i have heard that its getting extremly unsecure . Huaraz in Peru is a great destination so is the famous carretera austral in Chile. Smell the air and ride the freedom!!

  3. kd shoes
    27th June 2022 at 3:38 pm #

    I wish to get across my affection for your kind-heartedness in support of people that really need help with your matter. Your special dedication to getting the message across appears to be really useful and has constantly allowed regular people much like me to reach their dreams. Your amazing helpful guide implies much a person like me and extremely more to my fellow workers. Thank you; from all of us.

  4. longchamp
    27th June 2022 at 3:39 pm #

    Thanks so much for giving everyone remarkably remarkable possiblity to read critical reviews from here. It’s always so awesome and full of a lot of fun for me and my office friends to search your site a minimum of 3 times in a week to see the newest guides you have got. And indeed, I’m just at all times impressed with the wonderful methods you give. Selected 3 tips in this article are unequivocally the most beneficial I have ever had.

  5. golden goose
    27th June 2022 at 3:40 pm #

    I’m also writing to make you know what a useful discovery our child experienced visiting the blog. She noticed a good number of issues, which included what it’s like to have an ideal coaching nature to have folks completely master specific complicated subject matter. You really surpassed our desires. I appreciate you for imparting the essential, safe, edifying and even unique tips on that topic to Julie.

  6. giannis antetokounmpo shoes
    30th June 2022 at 3:36 pm #

    I simply desired to appreciate you again. I am not sure the things that I would’ve taken care of without these basics shown by you concerning such a theme. It absolutely was a very hard circumstance in my opinion, but being able to view this well-written tactic you managed the issue took me to weep for gladness. Now i’m happier for this help and hope you know what a powerful job that you’re getting into instructing the others thru your websites. I’m certain you’ve never come across any of us.

  7. chrome hearts online
    30th June 2022 at 3:37 pm #

    I wish to show my respect for your kindness supporting people who absolutely need help on that content. Your very own dedication to passing the message around turned out to be surprisingly beneficial and has without exception permitted those much like me to achieve their goals. This useful guideline implies this much to me and still more to my mates. Thanks a lot; from everyone of us.

  8. off white
    9th July 2022 at 7:36 pm #

    I have to get across my passion for your generosity for folks who have the need for help on the field. Your special dedication to getting the solution up and down had become especially beneficial and have frequently enabled folks much like me to attain their goals. Your warm and friendly advice signifies so much to me and still more to my colleagues. With thanks; from each one of us.

  9. off white hoodie
    12th July 2022 at 11:28 am #

    I precisely needed to say thanks again. I do not know the things I could possibly have created in the absence of the entire techniques shared by you concerning such a subject matter. It became a very troublesome setting in my view, however , finding out the very well-written way you dealt with that forced me to weep for delight. Extremely happier for your information and even pray you find out what a powerful job you are always doing training others thru a site. I am sure you have never got to know any of us.

  10. kyrie 7
    17th July 2022 at 10:23 pm #

    I would like to express my love for your kindness in support of persons who need guidance on that subject matter. Your special dedication to getting the solution all over appeared to be pretty insightful and has truly allowed ladies just like me to realize their aims. Your entire interesting publication implies this much a person like me and much more to my peers. Best wishes; from each one of us.

  11. off-white
    10th August 2022 at 1:05 pm #

    I must express my appreciation for your kind-heartedness supporting folks who actually need assistance with your question. Your personal dedication to passing the solution throughout turned out to be quite important and have without exception encouraged women like me to achieve their desired goals. Your entire important report entails a lot a person like me and much more to my office colleagues. Many thanks; from everyone of us.

  12. goyard outlet
    10th August 2022 at 1:06 pm #

    I would like to convey my respect for your generosity in support of folks who really want assistance with in this niche. Your real dedication to getting the message all through appears to be exceedingly helpful and has usually encouraged ladies just like me to realize their endeavors. Your entire warm and helpful report entails much to me and even more to my colleagues. Many thanks; from everyone of us.

  13. bapesta
    29th October 2022 at 5:21 pm #

    I precisely wished to appreciate you again. I’m not certain the things that I might have gone through in the absence of the actual information contributed by you regarding such a industry. It previously was a real frustrating setting in my position, but viewing a specialised approach you processed that made me to jump with delight. I am grateful for this assistance and in addition trust you comprehend what an amazing job you are always undertaking training most people with the aid of your site. I’m certain you have never got to know any of us.

  14. travis scott jordan
    17th November 2022 at 9:25 am #

    I wish to express my affection for your kindness for those people that require assistance with in this niche. Your special commitment to passing the message all over appeared to be remarkably invaluable and has truly made many people just like me to arrive at their pursuits. Your own interesting guideline denotes much to me and still more to my colleagues. With thanks; from each one of us.

  15. jordan 6
    21st November 2022 at 7:43 pm #

    I have to voice my gratitude for your kindness in support of those individuals that need help with this particular issue. Your very own dedication to passing the message throughout had been particularly beneficial and has without exception encouraged employees just like me to attain their pursuits. The warm and helpful tips and hints can mean a whole lot to me and still more to my office workers. Thanks a ton; from all of us.

  16. kd shoes
    21st November 2022 at 7:44 pm #

    I want to express my respect for your kind-heartedness supporting men and women that really need assistance with the subject. Your special dedication to passing the solution all over ended up being remarkably functional and has consistently empowered guys and women much like me to arrive at their pursuits. Your personal interesting help signifies much to me and substantially more to my fellow workers. Thanks a ton; from everyone of us.

  17. nike off white
    1st December 2022 at 8:21 am #

    I must convey my passion for your generosity supporting people who really want help on this one area of interest. Your special commitment to passing the solution throughout ended up being really beneficial and have usually made somebody just like me to realize their aims. The helpful useful information denotes a great deal to me and extremely more to my office colleagues. With thanks; from everyone of us.

  18. kd shoes
    1st December 2022 at 8:22 am #

    I’m writing to let you understand of the exceptional experience our daughter developed reading the blog. She learned a good number of pieces, which include what it is like to have an awesome giving spirit to have many others very easily comprehend selected extremely tough things. You undoubtedly did more than our own expectations. Thanks for imparting these great, trusted, revealing and also unique tips on this topic to Kate.

  19. golden goose sneakers
    2nd December 2022 at 9:39 am #

    I and also my friends ended up checking out the excellent tips and tricks on your website and then then I had an awful feeling I had not expressed respect to you for those techniques. These boys ended up absolutely warmed to learn all of them and already have very much been taking pleasure in these things. Thank you for truly being so considerate and also for considering this kind of decent subject matter millions of individuals are really needing to discover. My sincere regret for not expressing gratitude to you earlier.

  20. kd12
    5th December 2022 at 1:49 am #

    I in addition to my friends were found to be following the excellent recommendations on your site and then then I got a terrible feeling I had not expressed respect to you for those strategies. The ladies came warmed to see all of them and now have seriously been enjoying those things. We appreciate you really being really helpful and for making a choice on some tremendous things most people are really wanting to discover. My personal honest apologies for not expressing gratitude to you sooner.

  21. skaksmerb
    24th April 2023 at 9:28 pm #

    generic name for cialis GSEA determines whether a rank ordered list of genes for a particular comparison of interest for example, correlation with ERО± in human breast tumors is enriched in genes derived from an independently generated gene set for example, the cluster B genes

Leave a Reply to brooke Click here to cancel reply.