Colombia is one of the more affordable countries in South America. When you’ve decided to travel through Colombia, you’re naturally curious about the costs to determine your budget. We have visited Colombia twice and in this article, we’ll share our experiences regarding the expenses. In Colombia, you pay with Colombian Pesos, and you can use ATMs almost everywhere in the country. In this article, you’ll find everything about transportation, food, accommodations, and excursions. At the end of this article, we’ll describe an average daily budget for Colombia. For convenience, we’ll mention all amounts in euros so you don’t have to convert everything.
Costs for food and drinks in Colombia
There is certainly no shortage of good restaurants in Colombia. For convenience, we’ll provide the average amounts we spent on food and drinks. We usually opted for better restaurants but not necessarily the most expensive ones. For a good dinner, you’ll spend about $6 to $10, and you can usually get a good breakfast for around $4. If you choose local food, it will save you a few dollars. For example, popular empanadas only cost $0.50, a delicious snack for in between! A beer costs $1, and the same goes for soft drinks. Of course, you can save a lot of money by buying food and drinks at the supermarket. For instance, you might end up paying around $1.50 for a small bottle of cola at a restaurant, while you can buy a 2-liter bottle at the supermarket for the same price.
Costs for hostels & hotels in Colombia
Colombia has many trendy hostels and beautiful hotels. A bed in a dormitory will cost you an average of $7 to $12 in the more popular hostels. If you want a double room, you can expect to pay between $25 and $40. We’re assuming these prices for the better hostels, where you can count on a very pleasant stay and a lot of coziness. If you prefer a bit more luxury and staying in a nice hotel, you should budget around $35 to $65 per night for a double room. The cost of accommodation varies greatly depending on the destination. For example, prices in Cartagena are much higher than in Bogota. To get a better idea of the prices, you can check out our overview of favorite hotels in Colombia.
Transportation costs in Colombia
For longer distances in Colombia, you have two options: flying or taking the bus. Sometimes, the prices for plane tickets are almost the same as bus tickets. You’ll pay approximately $25 for a nine-hour bus ride, and domestic flights with low-cost airlines like Wingo and Latam are often not more expensive than $50 one-way. Buses in Colombia are very comfortable for longer distances, often equipped with Wi-Fi, air conditioning, comfortable seats, and ample legroom. For shorter distances, local buses are very cheap but slightly less luxurious. You’ll pay a few dollars for a one or two-hour bus ride. Additionally, there are plenty of taxis in larger cities like Bogota, Medellín, and Cartagena, but you can also use Uber to ensure a fair price. For a 1.5-hour Uber ride, you’ll only pay around $10.
Costs for tours and excursions in Colombia
Just like in any country, you can find both expensive and affordable tours and excursions in Colombia. Fortunately, there are several free tours available, such as the graffiti tour in Bogota or the walking tour in Medellín. The entrance fee for Tayrona National Park is $13, and a bike tour in Bogota costs around $10. All in all, quite affordable. One of the more expensive excursions is the Lost City Trek from Santa Marta, which can cost you around $280. In general, there are plenty of self-guided activities and you don’t have to spend a lot of money on enjoyable experiences.
Average daily costs for Colombia
It’s always challenging to determine a daily budget since everyone travels differently. Based on our expenses in Colombia, we arrived at an average daily budget of $50 per person. This does not include the flight ticket. We always stayed in a good double room in a nice hostel or hotel and often dined at good restaurants. If you prefer to stay in more luxurious accommodations more frequently, naturally, you’ll spend a bit more. If you choose to stay in dormitories and eat local food more often, you can expect a daily budget of around $30 to $35. As a backpacker, you can keep it quite affordable.
