south america on $50aud a day?

[mermaidnz]

ive promised a few friends id pay for them to go to south america with me, im just paying flights, accommodation,food and internal travel.

ive looked thru southamerica on a shoestring, and noted costs, but im still a stress-a-matic when it comes to not knowing if i have allowed enough.

is $50 a day per person a reasonable budget to cover food/hostel/random sightseeing?? we are looking at buenos aires,santiage,rio de janero,la paz, quito,cuzco (the incas trail is a seperate cost not in the 50 a day) and still researching a few places in central america.

most of the lower end hostels seem to be priced at about $8-15 pp. im hoping food is just as cheap!

[The Sasquatch]

Wow, I def. do not have any friends like you. Its hard enough getting some of my friends to take their turn buying the round. geez.

[TheJake]

im not sure what the exchange rate is but by just guessing I would say that it would be enough for Argentina, Peru and most of central america with the exception of costa rica. Brasil and Chile are becoming economic powerhouses but you can still travel there relatively cheap. Food can be bought cheap from street vendors or most of the restaurants in southern brasil are a "pay per kilo" type of place. You load up what you want on your plate and they weigh it. Kind of weird but whatever... You should be fine overall on that cash! have fun and keep us posted!!

[mermaidnz]

thanks for that Jake, i guess we may have to consider spending a little less time in costa rica (bummer!) i had noticed brazil was close to double the hostel costs per night of somewhere like bolivia or peru.

im hoping in the cheaper cities we spend less of the $50 a day, to help cover the other cities where we may spend $55 or $60 a day

as a back up.....all major cities in south america would obviously have visa atm facilities hey?

[freespiritz]

Can't really help you, but your friends must love you! Can't think of many people who would be that generous! Hope you guys have a great trip and keep us updated!

[joe7f]

50 AUD is plenty. All you need to do is take that Hustler everywhere you go and say "This is what I look like naked...now give me and my friends free stuff"

That is what I would do anyway...

--Joey

[florencia9699]

How many American dollars are 50$AUD?

A friend of mine has just been to Chile and told me it was quite quite expensive... on our Argentine peso point of view.

[mermaidnz]

Originally Posted by freespiritz

Can't really help you, but your friends must love you! Can't think of many people who would be that generous! Hope you guys have a great trip and keep us updated!

since we met as kids we always said we'd backpack south america together. shes been studying her ass off the past 4 years, and finally gets her degree in june. i wouldnt do it for just anyone, besides, its only money- cant take it with you when your gone, might as well blow it on awesome memories and damn good times!!

$50aud is $38usd accoring to todays xe.com conversion

[mermaidnz]

Originally Posted by joe7f

50 AUD is plenty. All you need to do is take that Hustler everywhere you go and say "This is what I look like naked...now give me and my friends free stuff"

That is what I would do anyway...

--Joey

maybe not the best thing to do in a considerably catholic nation

[TheJake]

they sell more porn down there at the little magazine racks than they do regular magazines.

[mermaidnz]

really?

ok, well, still not something id do

[florencia9699]

38USD is a bit tight... but perhaps doable if you have great control of money... Let's see for Buenos Aires:

Hostel 20$pesos
Food 20$
Transportation around the city: 4$
Drinks 20$
Total: 64$ = 20USD which leaves 18 dollars for everything else... you provably will have to spend like 30 pesos in meals.... that'd be a more realistic number....

Remmber to search for bus tickets and all the extra stuff so that you can add it separately!! (i.e: one way bus bus from Buenos Aires to Bariloche: 190pesos)

[BigE]

Originally Posted by mermaidnz

thanks for that Jake, i guess we may have to consider spending a little less time in costa rica (bummer!) i had noticed brazil was close to double the hostel costs per night of somewhere like bolivia or peru.

im hoping in the cheaper cities we spend less of the $50 a day, to help cover the other cities where we may spend $55 or $60 a day

as a back up.....all major cities in south america would obviously have visa atm facilities hey?

Too bad my cousin doesn't own a resort in Costa Rica anymore. He is now in Fuji. He would let you stay for free.

I think you and your friend will be fine. BTW, you are an awesome friend.

[Joker]

I dunno, the $40 US a day in Costa Rica is a stretch but can be done. According to my notes from my trip...

$8 for a single room at the hostel
$3 for breakfast
$5 for assorted lunch stuff (split with several people)
$3 to the waterfall
$7 to get in (ouch)
$3 back to town, sorta
$2 for a milkshake
$1 for a pastry
$5 for dinner (cooked in the hostel)
__________________________
$37 US

Add in another $10 on beer and rum that we drank in the hostel instead of a bar.....
____________________________


$47 for one day.

Now, I did 8 days for $500 and there were other days it cost me FAR less. For instance, the travelling days, the bulk of the money was spent on the actual bus ride but it was never more than $5 US. Most times around $3. But then the taxi-boat-taxi thing cost me $19, so YMMV.

As for the ATM thing... I did have an issue using some ATMs with my Visa checkcard. Some it worked, some it didn't. It is suggested strongly you avoid kiosk-style or freestanding ATMs since they can clone your card and are often a target for thieves. Only use an ATM in a bank. In CR, heavily armed guards stand at the bank entrances, and though a bit off-putting, its pretty damned safe. Otherwise, make sure your bank opens your card to international purchases. Its pretty easy to do- just go into a branch or call them.

[TheWills]

so a little off topic whats with all the hustler talk.....are you on the cover of that one or something ?

[The Sasquatch]

Fuji huh? I'm thinkin of stopping in Fuji on my way to NZ in march.:D

[florencia9699]

LOL is Fuji an actual place?? Cause here it's a mosquito reppelant!! Or like Fujifilm....

[BigE]

Me bad. I ment Fiji. Fuji is a mountain in Japan. Geesh!

I had a senior moment.

[mermaidnz]

costa rica is one of the more expensive places, i guess the budget of $50 a day in somewhere like la paz would be super excesive and the excess can roll over to cover the places where 450 may not be quite enough w00p smartness! hah

im noticing in both shoesting lonely planets, there is 4 bed dorms which are only a dollar extra a night (which would make a practically private room!) - since theres gonna be 4 of us, it will might be a bit of buying power in parts of town where they have larger dorm rooms.

stoked $50 seems like a do-able number. if we travel as much via bus at night, thats even more savings w00p! excited now!

[BigE]

My cousin owns this place in Costa Rica.

http://www.cabinaslaponderosa.com/

Nice place and very inexpensive.