Backpacking in Colombia is a hell of an adventure. I love this country. One of the big questions is how much does it cost to backpack in Colombia?

The ideal budget for backpacking in Colombia is going to depend on your personal travel style and preferences, but I suggest planning on around $50 to $60 per day. If you’re particularly thrifty, it’s possible to manage on less than $50 per day, although this may require preparing your own meals and limiting participation in day tours.

How much money do you need per day in Colombia?

How much money you need per day in Colombia when you are backpacking will depend on a few factors.

• What is your backpacking style?(luxury or budget)
• Do you want to travel around a lot or can you slow down and stay in one place?
• What type of accommodations are you okay with staying at?
• Are you going to want to do a variety of excursions and tours?
• Are you willing to cook at least some of your own meals?
• Are you going to want to drink alcohol?

These are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself when you try and figure out how much does it cost to backpack in Colombia per day.

Can You Backpack Colombia on a Budget?

Yes, Colombia is a great backpacking destination for those looking to travel on a budget. And it can be done on a modest budget. A backpacking trip to Colombia shouldn’t break the bank. However, what I found in 2019 is that if you are not careful things can start to add up.

I spent two months in Colombia. I went all over the country, hitting the major cities and a number of the most visited destinations. I stayed in hostels and cooked some of my own food(this is a weak point for me).

Traveling to Colombia won’t necessarily drain your finances, although it’s essential to exercise caution as expenses can escalate swiftly—especially if you decide to indulge in the growing gastronomic scene! So, what is the cost of visiting Colombia, and what strategies can you employ to save money during your trip?

What is Your Backpacking Style?

How much it costs to backpack in Colombia is going to depend on your style of travel.

Are you going to be a bare bones backpacker who stays in the cheapest hostel dorm room you can find? Or do you need a bit more “luxury” in your hostel? Do you need a private room? You might not even know the answer to these questions until you stay in a hostel, especially if this is your first backpacking trip.

Prices for dorm rooms are all over the place. I see very nice dorm rooms in La Candelaria in Bogota for about $10USD per night. Or you could spend more than double that. A private room might be over $30. If you a solo backpacker on a budget that just might be too much to handle. There are good hostels for good prices so check around some different booking sites.

Maybe you need complete privacy and want your own AirBnB. I get it. You are certainly looking at $30 per night and up. Probably more actually.

So you need to figure this out.

Are you willing to cook at least some of your own meals at the hostel? I marvel at people who cook almost all of their meals. I am not great at doing this consistently. But if you can commit to it you can save a lot of money. Going out to eat adds up. A meal in a basic restaurant will be at least $5 on the VERY low end.

Street food can be a budget friendly option though. An empanada might be 50 cents. An arepa will be about $1. I tend to eat a lot of street food with a mix of buying easy to eat food from the supermarket.

How much alcohol will you want to enjoy? I love a cold cerveza. And if you buy from a supermarket you should only be paying about $1 USD. More in a pub or nightclub. Cocktails are going to be a bit more expensive.

So if you want to enjoy a few drinks with friends it will start to add up and eat into your budget. Just be aware of this and be careful with your spending.

Are you going to want to do a variety of excursions and tours? While these might not be a daily budget kind of item they still add to the daily cost of what you are budgeting to do your Colombian backpacking trip. A basic day trip from Bogota to the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira with a tour company will be about $75.

A full on excursion to The Lost City will set you back about $550.00 USD(or more). But that type of hike is maybe the one big thing you have budgeted for.

There are free walking tours in all the major cities that you can sign up for. They are great. Museums and art galleries are very budget friendly and sometimes will have a day that might be at a discounted price or even free!

How much of Colombia do you plan to see? This depends on how much time you have for your trip of course. I had two whole months and I tried to pack in as much as possible. I did not know if I would ever get back to Colombia and I was hellbent on doing as much as possible.

Traveling around the country, while certainly budget friendly, does still add up. Sure a bus ticket from Bogota to Villa de Leyva is only about $10, but if you are taking a bus 15 to 30 times over a couple of months those costs start to add up. Just something to consider.

One of the things you will see people doing to save a few pesos is to take a night bus for longer trips. This way you are traveling to your destination and you are not paying for a hostel for that night. I did that a few times but I wasn’t a fan. Can you sleep on a bus? I can’t. But it is an option.

Obviously you are on a backpacking adventure. Go forth and see what you want to see. Just be aware that the more you jump from place to place the more it will cost you. I now tend to stay in one place for a longer period of time and try and just enjoy that area. I am a huge fan of  “slow travel”.

Find Out My Favorite Travel Backpack For Minimalist Travel

How To Save Money When Backpacking in Colombia

Colombia can be a great budget friendly backpacking destination. But if you are not careful costs can escalate quickly.

Here are a few ideas to help keep costs in check.

Book with hostels directly – If a hostel has a website try contacting them directly and see if you can book with them. They might even have their own booking portal. Right now the hostel I want to book in Bogota is $14 per night on Hostelworld. Not bad. On the actual hostel website the exact same bed in a dorm room is $9. If I were to say for a month that is a savings of $150. And they might give me a discount if I book an extended stay. It never hurts to ask.

Volunteer at the hostel – Yes, I know you are not looking to work while you are on “vacation”. But if you have the time to help out for a few hours per day maybe you can get a meal for free or even a few nights accommodation for a discount. It is worth looking into, especially if you are looking to keep costs as low as possible.

Eat in the local style – Enjoying budget-friendly meals in Colombia is simple when you opt for traditional Colombian cuisine. Avoid the trendy tourist places. Embrace affordable options like empanadas and arepas, which make for excellent snacks. In rural areas, you can discover meals for as low as 12,500 COP. In essence, choose to savor local flavors at an economical cost. While Colombian cuisine may not be the healthiest, given its emphasis on meat and fried dishes, it undeniably provides a filling and a very budget friendly eating option.

Prepare your own meals – I need to get better with this. Even though local cuisine is exceptionally affordable, you can cut costs further by buying groceries.  If you choose to shop, focus on acquiring breakfast items or snacks and continue enjoying meals at local establishments and street food. This way, you’ll get better value for your money. You will need a hostel with a kitchen AND you are spending time cooking and cleaning up. It’s a trade off.

Limit the alcohol – Colombia now boasts numerous trendy cocktail bars, particularly in Medellín, but these beverages come with a hefty price tag, typically ranging from $8 to $10! It’s quite extravagant, especially when you can get a beer for around $1.50(or less) If you’re watching your budget, it’s advisable to steer clear of cocktails and opt for more budget-friendly beer options. Or don’t drink. Its the healthiest option.

Steer clear of hostels on the Caribbean coast – I really enjoyed Cartagena but wow have prices gone up since 2019. The hostels along the Caribbean coast left much to be desired just from a price perspective. Alternatively, you might actually discover budget-friendly hotels on Booking.com that are reasonably priced, costing less than a private room and only slightly more than a dormitory bed. Or you could…

Opt for local hospitality – Nothing beats the affordability of free accommodation. Utilize platforms like Couchsurfing, where you can connect with locals willing to offer not just a free place to stay, but also act as your personal tour guide, introducing you to hidden gems known only to locals in the area! College towns and major cities typically have the highest number of hosts available.

Participate in complimentary walking tours – Numerous major and medium-sized cities across Colombia offer free walking tours(tipping is hoped for), providing an excellent budget-friendly way to explore the city while gaining insights by interacting with your guide. Some of my preferred options include:

• Free Walking Tour Cartagena
• Free Walking Tour Bogota
• Real City Tours Medellin

Keep track of all your spending – Write everything down. Or use your phone to keep track of it all. I like to take notes. At the end of the day look it all over. It’s amazing how it can all add up so quickly. This way you see it. It’s in your mind and by doing this you won’t be surprised( or shocked) when you look at your bank account and see dwindling funds.

 Also Read: Learn How to Boost Your Travel Fund