Cheapest Countries to Visit in South America
Are you looking for the cheapest countries to visit in South America?
After visiting almost every country in South America, combined with extensive research, I’ve created this list showing you the cheapest (and most expensive!) countries in South America for travelers.
How many countries are in South America? There are 12 countries in South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela, along with the territory of French Guiana. However, I’m not including Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, or French Guiana.
Why? These are the only countries I haven’t traveled to myself yet. They’re also among the least visited countries in South America (and travel to Venezuela is not recommended right now, especially for Americans.) Also, these countries can be quite expensive since there’s very little tourism infrastructure.
If you’re planning to visit Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, or French Guiana, you’ll want to do your own research on costs for these destinations. But as for the most popular countries in South America for travelers, I’ve created the list below. You can find these countries in order of cheapest to most expensive.
Average Daily Budget
Rather than give an exact estimate, I’ve offered a range for the average daily budget you can expect to spend in each South American country. This includes the cost for food, lodging, and transportation as a budget backpacker up to a comfortable mid-range traveler. Budget more for tours and activities.
Obviously, the sky is the limit if you’re a luxury traveler and you want to splurge. Different destinations within a country can also be more or less expensive depending on how touristy they are.
Without further ado, these are the cheapest countries in South America:
1. Paraguay
Paraguay, a landlocked country bordered by Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia is the cheapest country to visit in South America. This affordable country is often skipped by tourists, though.
And I have to say, I’m not surprised. Paraguay lacks the “wow factor” of any of its neighbors, and it doesn’t have a ton of must-see tourist attractions… honestly, it doesn’t really have any.
But if you’re looking for a rewarding, off-the-beaten-path, and affordable destination, you might add Paraguay to your South America itinerary. You can expect to spend $20 to $40 a day here.
2. Bolivia
Another one of the cheapest countries to visit in South America is Bolivia. This is a country I would highly recommend for adventurous travelers. Unlike Paraguay, there is more tourism infrastructure in Bolivia and there are tons of amazing and unique things to do in this landlocked, high-altitude country.
La Paz, the highest-altitude capital city in the world, is an incredible place to spend a couple of days. You can also cycle the infamous Death Road, visit the otherworldly landscapes of the Uyuni Salt Flats, and take a trip to mystical Lake Titicaca, the highest-altitude lake in the world that is shared with Peru.
In Bolivia, you can expect to spend $20 to $40 a day. Out of all the places I have traveled to in South America, I found Bolivia to have some of the cheapest prices for things like food and lodging.
3. Ecuador
Ecuador is another budget-friendly destination in South America, with one exception: the Galapagos Islands. These islands are very expensive to visit, which is why I skipped them (I’ll go back one day.) However, the rest of Ecuador is amazing and it’s actually one of my favorite countries in South America.
There’s so much to do and see in Ecuador, from volcanoes to lagoons to rainforests to waterfalls and more. You can expect to spend $25 to $40 a day in Ecuador on food, lodging, and transportation.
One thing to note about Ecuador is that the currency is the US dollar, which makes things easy for American travelers. One of my top travel tips for Ecuador is to make sure you have lots of smaller bills, though, because anything over a $20 bill can be extremely difficult to get change for.
4. Colombia
Colombia is another one of the cheapest countries to visit in South America. In my experience, it’s not quite as cheap as Bolivia or Ecuador, but it can definitely still be an affordable destination.
Some of the highlights of Colombia include the vibrant city of Medellin, colorful Cartagena on the Caribbean coast, the incredible Valle de Cocora, and tropical Tayrona National Park. There’s something for everyone in Colombia, whether you’re interested in city life, food, and culture, or beautiful nature.
You can expect to spend around $30 to $45 a day in Colombia. In the trendier neighborhoods of Medellin or the touristy historic center of Cartagena, you can expect to spend even more money.
5. Peru
Another affordable country in South America is Peru. Peru is one of the most stunning destinations on the continent, with amazing landscapes including the Andes Mountains and Machu Picchu.
The coastal capital Lima is a cool city to explore, and you also can’t miss Huacachina, a unique desert oasis. Overall, Peru is fairly cheap. You can expect to spend $35 to $50 a day here.
In more touristy areas, you might spend more. For example, tours and day trips in Cusco can be a little pricy (but not unreasonable.) Traveling in other parts of the country, like Peru’s second city Arequipa, tends to be more affordable. This is definitely a country where you can manage to travel on a budget.
6. Argentina
Argentina is more expensive than the countries that come before it on this list, although that has not been the case. Argentina is one of the best countries in South America in terms of safety and amazing places to visit, but the country suffers from economic troubles and major fluctuations in currency.
When I first visited Argentina and spent a month in Buenos Aires, everything was so cheap for tourists and I was amazed by the prices. However, now you can expect to spend $45 to $80 a day here.
It’s still not an expensive destination, but it’s not quite a bargain anymore. That being said, you should absolutely make time for Argentina, because it’s enormous and full of so much beauty.
7. Brazil
Moving away from what I would consider to be “affordable” destinations, we now have Brazil. Brazil is still cheaper than somewhere in Western Europe, but comparatively speaking, it’s fairly pricy for South America.
You can expect to spend around $50 to $90 a day in Brazil on food, lodging, and transportation. Cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo can definitely skew things to be more expensive, but outside these major cities, you can get a lot more value for your money. So Brazil can still be somewhat affordable.
Aside from the cities, Brazil is home to beautiful beaches and 60% of the Amazon Rainforest. Although it’s not the cheapest country in South America, it’s still amazing and worth visiting.
8. Chile
The second-most expensive country to visit in South America is Chile. This long, narrow country stretches a whopping 2,670 miles from north to south. The country boasts varied climates and diverse scenery, from the Atacama Desert in the north to the peaks of Chilean Patagonia in the south.
In Chile, you can expect to spend $55 to $100 a day. I found things like going out to eat and accommodation to be pretty expensive when I was in Chile, although I still think that it’s worth visiting.
However, there are a lot of things in Chile that are cheaper to do elsewhere. For example, southern Bolivia offers a lot of the same scenery as northern Chile for a fraction of the price. And going to the Patagonia region of Argentina can be a little cheaper than visiting the Patagonia region of Chile.
9. Uruguay
Finally, the most expensive country in South America is Uruguay. Uruguay has a lot going for it — it’s the safest country in South America, the least corrupt, and has the least poverty. But it’s also pricy.
I’ll be honest, Uruguay isn’t the most exciting country in South America. On this list, I’d place it right after Paraguay in terms of how interesting it is for tourists. However, I think it’s still worth visiting for a couple of days. You can easily go to Uruguay from Buenos Aires, Argentina by ferry for a weekend trip.
You can expect to spend $60 to $100 a day in Uruguay. I was pretty shocked at how high the prices were here, especially coming from Argentina which was very cheap at the time. Budget travelers will not want to spend a long time in Uruguay but like I said, I still think it’s worth a short trip here.
Cheapest Countries to Visit in South America
This guide showed you the cheapest countries to visit in South America.
In my personal experience, Ecuador and Bolivia were two of the best and least expensive destinations I visited in South America. Argentina was also extremely cheap when I was there, but due to currency fluctuations, this isn’t always the case. Colombia and Peru can be budget-friendly destinations too.
When it comes to the most expensive countries in South America, Uruguay is by far the priciest. That being said, I think it’s still worth visiting for a couple of days. Chile is also quite expensive.
Enjoy your travels in South America!
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