Expenses
By country
| Country | AVERAGE of Food&Drink | AVERAGE of Lodging | AVERAGE of Transportation | AVERAGE of Other (tickets etc) | AVERAGE of Day Total |
| Colombia | $19.66 | $10.21 | $6.14 | $24.42 | $60.44 |
| Ecuador | $17.41 | $11.03 | $5.47 | $14.67 | $48.59 |
| El Salvador | $24.86 | $37.75 | $21.07 | $5.28 | $88.96 |
| Galapagos | $22.07 | $29.82 | $31.24 | $40.75 | $123.87 |
| Guatemala | $32.78 | $49.87 | $23.58 | $2.50 | $108.73 |
| Peru | $13.26 | $19.27 | $9.50 | $7.47 | $49.50 |
| Grand Total | $19.10 | $15.98 | $9.69 | $18.83 | $63.61 |
Totals:
| Days | Food&Drink | Lodging | Transportation | Other (tickets etc) | Day Total |
| 138 | $2,636.22 | $2,205.77 | $1,337.77 | $2,597.94 | $8,777.70 |
It’s slightly cheaper comparing to Part 1, part of is that the Europe ended up raising the average and I also stayed in more hostels in Part 2.
Country reviews
Colombia
Food is interesting only in its capitol, Bogota. Safer than what the perception might be. Divisions and classism are obviously especially in bigger cities, where rich areas are on par with standard of living in the USA but poor parts are just really poor.
The south is a gem – great sceneries, weather and cost of living. Medellin for me is half and half. One hand, I did meet some amazing people and I studied my Spanish there. It’s expensive and pretentious, and often time lack of cultural heritage. Clean and organized city otherwise.
Ecuador
Most underrated country. Lots of backpackers just skip it and go straight to Peru. It’s a shame. It’s a small country but yet it has so much to offer ranging from the Amazon, the unique Galapagos islands, amazing volcanic hikes and all within a compact country. It got 3 UNESCO places and indigenous culture is well celebrated. Food is also interesting.
Educational level is considerably higher (than Colombia), partially due to using US dollars. It had been the safest country before the beginning of 2024. Lovely locals.
I singled out Galapagos as its own country for expense tracking purpose. It’s a place I think all nature lovers should pay a visit to along with the Amazon.
Peru
The Andes mountains are stunning. I had a great time due to meeting up with other Europeans. Food is obviously the highlight. Lots of Chinese culinary influence (most Chinese restaurants than any other restaurants combined)
Cities and infrastructure are largely unorganized. In the context of tourism, it’s just overrated. Yes, Machu Picchu and Cuzco are amazing, but they are just a slice of the country that’s carved towards Western tourists and not a representative of the rest of the country. Lima, being one of the biggest capital cities in the world, is probably the worst when comes to public transit and just overall orderliness in general. That being said, Peruvians are lovely.
El Salvador
Even though nothing is spectacular but yet everything was surprisingly pleasant given being such a small country and having such a bad reputation historically. It’s always great to see the positivity coming from its citizens. This is what the worlds needs. Sometimes, travel is about the journey instead of the destination. Being able to spend my last days with a dearest friend made the world difference. I might not go back to again, but I will always encourage everyone else to pay the country a visit.
Guatemala
It has a lot of potentials. Too bad, I didn’t get to deep dive despite visited twice. I will leave my opinion upon my return 🙂
Wow, what an incredible journey! Your breakdown of expenses and country reviews is super insightful and surprisingly inexpensive. I love the honesty and the nuances in your experiences, especially the bits about local culture and food.
I look forward to the deep dive about Guatemala!