Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂
This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally and out of pocket where needed and possible.
In August 2023, Mark, dog Maya, and I explored the Northern half of Peru in our truck camper, Thirsty Bella.
The golden light near Laguna Churup
Note: Traveling overland in this country with your own vehicle is VERY different from flying in as a tourist, using organized transport, visiting the highlights, eating in high-end restaurants, and sleeping in comfortable hotels.
We literally taste Peru with all our senses, from smelling the smoke from a neighbor burning trash and the black exhaust of trucks, to hearing barking dogs, partying locals, honking cars, homemade fireworks, and the killing of pigs, to seeing trash being tossed in rivers, the sea, or the roadside, to tasting the bland food at local stands and limited vegetables in remote villages, to touching the hungry, skinny, attention-deprived stray dogs huddling around our camper, to being stared at by sustainable farmers and squeezed by aggressive drivers. Being part of Peruvian life has been challenging and heart-breaking, but some of the scenery has been awe-inspiring.
(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
It is no surprise that our biggest spending category last month was the car, more precisely fuel. At about US$5 per gallon for gasoline, this has been “killing” us. Over half of our total monthly amount went to gas! On top of the high prices for this commodity, our fuel mileage has been worse than ever, due to all the mountain driving (up and down relentlessly; no tunnels), the liberal placements of topes (speedbumps) everywhere, and the abundance of potholes. There is a lot of accelerating and slowing to a crawl.
Thirsty got a bath for the equivalent of US$3 and we paid for a few toll roads as well. Unlike in Colombia, these highways in Peru are actually smooth, wide, fast, and awesome. As long as you don’t look to the sides.
Despite grocery items being more expensive in Peru than Colombia and Ecuador, we didn’t spend a huge amount in supermarkets, for two reasons: we are being frugal about what we buy and we rarely see decent stores. They only exist in bigger cities.
We mostly obtain produce and eggs at local markets (when present) and don’t eat very varied these days. We have to be creative, just like when we sailed in the remote islands of the South Pacific. Obtaining raw, hanging meat at those mercados is something we are not keen on, so our protein intake has been low.
Because of the high cost of fuel in August, we refrained from too many splurges. We ate out a few times, but none of that was noteworthy. People keep saying that the food in Peru is excellent. So far, we have not experienced this. If you have traveled here, please enlighten us.
One day, not having bread for a sandwich lunch at home, we decided to eat a local meal on our daytrip to a fabulous lake in the Andes Mountains. When asking what was served, the answer was chicharron (pig skins). No chicken? No, but they could make potatoes and eggs for us. Sure! We were only slightly surprised to each receive a bowl with four boiled potatoes in the skin and one, unpeeled hard-boiled egg on top. Never mind that the menu poster showed two boiled eggs (peeled) per plate!
Here is the best part of being in Peru: the scenery and sights! When we can reach and afford them, anyway. 😊 Fascinating ruins, incredible views, rewarding hikes, spectacular lakes. We did a bit of all that, which will be elaborated on in future posts.
After keeping an eye out for an alpaca poncho in Colombia and Ecuador, but never biting the bullet, I did treat myself to a colorful poncho at the artisanal market in Huaraz. It wasn’t cheap, but I love it and have used it since on those chilly nights in the mountains.
Finding usable internet to work has been tricky in Peru. And we have moved camp a lot for that reason. Only some towns have reliable cell service, the biggest plan you can buy is only for 1.5GB, and while Claro states Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and other social media channels are included in the plan, it is our experience that this is not correct. Sometimes, we’d have full bars of 4G service and not one page loads in our browser. One moment, we can connect, the next, nothing…
We have been able to stay stick to our $30 average budget for internet, but it has been due to careful consideration and planning around accessibility and the few times we bought an unlimited day plan. That’s when I upload photos to my website and read other people’s blog posts. And for anyone who wonders… yes, we are seriously considering buying Starlink. Ouch! For the first time in a year, we paid for potable water as well.
Our alcohol expense wasn’t too bad. We stayed at high altitudes for most of August and when dehydration, headaches, and shortness of breath threaten, an adult beverage is not appealing.
Most of our campsites were wild and free, but we did stay at a paid campground for three nights; something we usually don’t indulge in. The reason was two-fold: we wanted to take the camper off the truck, because that was the only way to visit most sights around Huaraz in the Cordillera Blanca and we needed to fill with potable water. Finally meeting other campers was a bonus. Most of our fellow overlanders stay at places like this.
Our paid campground – Marian Wahi – in Huaraz
Unfortunately, Marian Wasi didn’t have WiFi and the Claro cell service was not strong enough to work, so we had to leave the camping earlier than expected. Not that this was an easy feat… We cleared the lowish entrance gate when arriving, but not when leaving. Letting air out of the rear tires was the solution. Good we have an air compressor with us!
The last three expense categories consisted of a few loads of laundry in Trujillo, buying an orange squeezer and new cheese grater, and drinking fresh juices at a café on the coast and coca tea at a high-elevation refugio to help with altitude sickness.
Based on how we kept spending money on all of this in August, we expected our total to be higher than the $1,058 recorded, so we don’t feel too bad about just cresting $1,000. September, however, will sport some super costly items, which will bring us closer to $2,000!
(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)
(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)
Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.
If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!
September 6, 2023 at 19:06
The scenery is spectacular. Peru has been the most expensive place for fuel in South America so far? We live in one of the most expensive places for gas in the United States. I’m paying about $5.70 per gallon these days.
September 6, 2023 at 21:04
That’s what ours cost the last time, too. Luckily, I don’t drive much anymore!
September 7, 2023 at 10:49
I bet you walk to a lot of places, thanks to your dog, Jacqui. 🙂
September 6, 2023 at 21:13
Gas is running about $3.50 a gallon here in the southeast. A bit high but obviously not California high.
September 7, 2023 at 10:55
I could live with that! 🙂
September 7, 2023 at 10:32
Hi Pete,
Yes, Peru has been the most pricey country in South America for fuel so far, at twice the amount per gallon than in Ecuador and Colombia. The locals have converted their cars to take propane gas. Compared to California and Europe, we shouldn’t complain. The distances in Peru are huge and we are moving (too) fast, hence the hundreds of dollars spent on gasoline last month.
September 6, 2023 at 20:03
Liesbet, I love this quote, “We literally taste Peru with all our senses, from smelling the smoke from a neighbor burning trash and the black exhaust of trucks, to hearing barking dogs, partying locals, honking cars, homemade fireworks, and the killing of pigs, to seeing trash being tossed in rivers, the sea, or the roadside, to tasting the bland food at local stands and limited vegetables in remote villages, to touching the hungry, skinny, attention-deprived stray dogs huddling around our camper, to being stared at by sustainable farmers and squeezed by aggressive drivers”. Jim
September 7, 2023 at 10:35
Hi Jim,
You two can probably relate to some parts in that quote.
I dawned on me, when listening to people (tourists) raving about Peru, that they have a very different experience traveling by planes and buses, singling out the most attractive parts of the country. It boils down again to the reality that our travels are not a vacation, they are a lifestyle. And, doing it this way throws us into all kinds of (sometimes uncomfortable and sometimes exciting and rewarding) situations! 🙂
September 6, 2023 at 20:08
I sure do feel sorry for those stray neglected dogs, but I suppose they can find some garbage food in the border wall of trash along Peru’s roadsides! The scenery around your campsites was pretty. Your expenses were very reasonable. Safe travels!
September 7, 2023 at 10:38
Hi Nancy!
I had the same sentiment and thought: at least all that garbage is good for one thing: it might sustain the many stray dogs. Most of the garbage bags don’t have anything edible in them, probably, as people do compost here.
Thank you for the comment and the wishes! We do enjoy the scenery in the Andes mountains!
September 6, 2023 at 20:22
Wow, Liesbet, it seems that there is so much to like and dislike about Peru. The vistas are gorgeous, but the trash and starving animals would make me so sad. I’m glad you indulged yourself a bit with the poncho. $39 doesn’t strike me as an outrageous price. Those potatoes and egg, though? I think you were being punked. 🙂
September 7, 2023 at 10:43
Haha, Janis! I’m glad you approve of my poncho.
Mark bought two alpaca sweaters in Ecuador for $20 a piece, so I’m justifying it with the fact that my poncho probably has twice the amount of wool as one of his sweaters. 🙂 A Peruvian friend confirmed my inkling that $40 was expansive for such an item in Peru. I should have let him do the shopping!
The potatoes and eggs were pretty crappy, but, at $1.50 for each plate, we can’t complain too much.
The starving dogs, especially when they hang out with our camper from the moment we arrive until the moment we leave, are the worst and most heart-breaking part of this journey so far. And the dead or hurt ones along the road…
September 6, 2023 at 20:44
The views are amazing, but sounds like a better experience in Columbia.
September 7, 2023 at 10:45
All the countries on this continent have been quite different from each other. And they all have pros and cons, but I can state right now that I would never want to live in Peru.
September 6, 2023 at 21:03
Hi Liesbet! Yes some of your scenery is spectacular. But you’ve been gone from the U.S. too long if you think $5 a gallon is high. Right now at Costco back home the gas is $4.89! And food is pretty high in most places. Definitely less here in MX where we are but back in the states it is high. Your advantage is definitely staying for free in places but just getting CLOSE to $1,000 for a month is pretty darn amazing. Continue your adventure!!! ~Kathy
September 7, 2023 at 10:48
Hi Kathy,
Fuel prices in California have always been extremely high. So, compared to that, I guess Peru is similar. Compared to fuel prices along the East coast, it’s expensive. And, compared to Ecuador and Colombia (which is what we are basing it on), it’s twice the price per gallon. We will see what the situation is further south…
Yeah, I’m aware that the prices for food in the US have gone way up. It’s one of the reasons we don’t think we can cope with and afford to live in the US anymore. Luckily, we don’t have to. 🙂
We will keep adventuring and once we find an attractive, affordable, and comfortable town somewhere, we might hunker down for a while.
September 6, 2023 at 21:12
So sad about the trash and stray dogs. I wish there was an easy solution.
I love your poncho! I’m sure it is worth it’s cost on cold nights.
How disappointing about the food. Did they at least have salt and pepper for your potatoes and egg?
The scenery is amazing! I wish I was there. But I can also feel your stress of bad roads and chasing down internet.
September 7, 2023 at 10:55
Hi Duwan,
Yeah, the stray dog population is a problem here, just like in Mexico. Although I found most areas in SA, so far, to be less sad than in Mexico. It all depends on the attitude of the locals…
I’ve thought a lot about our nights in the desert southwest together, lately. How I wished I had that poncho back then. It’s perfect to sit outside at night! Better and easier than a blanket. 🙂
They only had salt for the potatoes and eggs. It, honestly, was the most meager meal we ever ordered out. Although a corn, habas, and cheese plate in Ecuador comes close!
I hope you make it to Peru, but flying in and not having to drive. That part is seriously stressful and not recommended. Same with staying at accommodation with WiFi. So much easier than hunting for a good cell signal.
September 6, 2023 at 21:34
The trash. The dogs. This is so heartbreaking despite the beautiful scenery. The poncho is gorgeous!
September 7, 2023 at 10:56
I’m glad you like my poncho, Margie. I should have made a close-up, so the colors pop out more. Peru has been a mixed bag on many fronts… More to come later.
September 7, 2023 at 00:48
When I was there way back in 1983, a common meal was “Marido”, which is rice and beans (probably served all over South America). “Marido” means married because they are always served together. Another surprise and rather unpleasant dish was roasted guinea pig. People raise these in their backyards. Most delicious dessert- tres leches cake (3 different types of cream and milk), so luscious! I was on a student trip and we spend most of our time in the city of Trujillo which is probably very different from the countryside.
September 7, 2023 at 11:01
Hi Martha,
Rice and beans are still quite popular in Peru. Since we make that dish at home often, we haven’t tried it at a restaurant yet.
Cuy (Guinea pig) is still a popular dish in Peru and Ecuador. People collect, sell, or buy grasses all over the place to feed to their Guinea pigs. Apparently, the animals live with them either in cages, in the yard, or inside the house, before they get slaughtered, prepared and eaten. We haven’t tried this “delicacy” yet and probably never will.
I will have to try the tres leches dessert one day. It was popular in Colombia as well, but you could only buy the entire cake at the bakery, which was pricey and way too much!
My next post will cover Trujillo. I really enjoyed the change of pace and atmosphere there, compared to the rest of the Peruvian coast. So awesome that you got to live there for a bit. It’s a great city!
September 7, 2023 at 02:27
Keeping around the $1000.00 mark is remarkable, Liesbet. We’ve been hit with inflation in the US. Everything is high, except groceries at Aldi, a chain gaining momentum here.
Spectacular scenery!
September 7, 2023 at 11:04
Hi Marian,
When we roamed about the US, we would try to shop at Aldi (and for some items at Trader Joe’s) as much as possible. We were able to find the most affordable grocery stores in each state. I’ve heard about the increased popularity of Aldi in the US; they just bought the grocery chain Win Dixie in Florida, I believe.
Aldi is a European grocery store chain, so I know all about them and grew up with them in Belgium. 🙂
September 7, 2023 at 06:24
Liesbet, for me, and probably most of your readers, this post is a wonderful eye-opening post on RV living in foreign countries. As you probably remember, we’ve camped in our small camper van all over the US, and have traveled abroad extensively. However, when both of these activities are combined, as you detail in your post, it’s another experience all together. In addition, discussing the financial realities adds another level of information to tie it all together.
Your blog is excellent and truly unique. And you guys are doing adventure travelers a real favor by publishing it. Well done and Thanks. ~James
September 7, 2023 at 11:17
Hi James,
Thank you so much for your well-written and thought-out comment. You totally get what I was trying to do: show the realities of this kind of traveling in developing countries. As you’ve gathered – and I can confirm – RVing in North America is much easier than down here! 🙂
Travelers to Peru kept pointing out all the positives about this country and that’s when I realized they usually only see the best parts of any country. That’s why you generally visit places, to see and experience the highlights. Driving through in your own vehicle makes you taste and experience “the whole package.”
As you know, I like to touch on the good, the bad, and the ugly of the places we visit and the experiences we gather. 🙂
September 7, 2023 at 12:29
Hi Liesbet, as always, I appreciate that you share the underbelly of RV life. The bowl of potatoes and an egg cracked me up (no pun intended). Well, they’ll certainly get no points for presentation on the Yelp review!! 🙂 Can’t beat the price, even they did short you by one egg.
I think we (travelers) have a glorified opinion of most of the popular places to visit around the world and have no idea of what things really look like on the inside. Truth be told, most of us probably don’t really want to see the ugliness firsthand, so thanks for daring to travel off the beaten path and offering that point of view to us. You guys are truly exceptional.
September 10, 2023 at 21:24
Hi Suzanne,
You comment about cracking up about the egg made me smile. Especially on a day that turned sad, after we learned that the dog of an overlanding friend ran away because of fireworks and was then killed by traffic on a highway in Bolivia. 🙁
I’m glad you appreciate the insights of this kind of travel and the parts that are “rough around the edges.” I decided to add this paragraph about RV travels here, because I kept getting the feeling that the usual tourist doesn’t get to experience or even understand that aspect of our lifestyle and this way of traveling, just like you pointed out. Also, when I’m getting exhausted about our life on the road, I have the tendency to focus on and share that part more.
September 7, 2023 at 16:33
Wow, your budget is impressive considering the price of gas; but it sounds as though your travels are coming with a different kind of cost: Stress. I had to laugh (incredulously) at the potatoes and egg dish. Very different from the beautifully plated meals you had earlier in your trip. 🙂
September 10, 2023 at 21:29
Hi Diane,
I can imagine that the humor presented by those potatoes and that egg is right up your alley! 🙂 Luckily, the food here in Lima is of higher quality and standards (and price)!
And, yes, as you know, we often seem to have more stress than one would expect us to have on this “permanent vacation!” As to the budget for this month… I might not dare to post it in October! We are a third into September and we are already at the same total amount of August – over $1,000. Yes, something is going on! But it might reduce some of that stress.
September 7, 2023 at 16:39
Love your ponch! The egg and potatoes made me laugh. Zero points for effort, it beats my worst offering by far (a large roasted carrot served with … grated carrot 🥕 🥕 ).
September 10, 2023 at 21:31
Haha, Anabel. That is hilarious, your carrot & carrot meal. I think you got us beat, since we actually had two different ingredients on our plate. And, it was served with salt! 🙂
September 11, 2023 at 03:11
I’m sure I got salt and pepper! And to be fair, I didn’t mention the tiny portion of smashed avocado, so at least there was some colour variation 😉.
September 12, 2023 at 10:47
Hurray for avocado! 🙂
September 12, 2023 at 12:15
👍🏻🥑
September 8, 2023 at 09:22
What a mixed bag, Peru is, Liesbet. My heart is broken hearing about all those hungry stray dogs, but the scenery is spectacular. It does not sound as if anyone in Peru cares much about climate change, looking after the planet and recycling. Maybe people have to pay to recycle items? Fly tipping can be a problem in the UK, but nowhere near the problem it seems to be in Peru.
Your egg and potato dish made me remember the time I ordered pineapple and cream at a lovely restaurant. The meal had been amazing and I preyed it would not just be a pineapple ring with a bit of cream filling the hole! I did have a laugh when that was what I got, though.
It sounds like you’ll be glad to leave Peru, especially with the poor cell and wifi service.
September 10, 2023 at 21:39
Hi Hugh,
As I reread your comment here to reply, I realized that you hit the hammer on the head with your description of Peru being a “mixed bag” which is part of the title of my most recent blog post!
I feel the government is partly to blame for the garbage problem: they do not provide garbage pickup or garbage facilities and I doubt this is part of the education either. So much starts with education. Recycling, that’s an entire other topic. But, we have seen bins to separate glass, plastic, and organic trash at fuel stations. If those bins are used properly and what happens afterwards is everyone’s guess…
The homeless dogs affect us greatly and make for the saddest part of our travels. There are just too many. We have to be tough and ignore them, or help them for a day/night and then leave them.
Funny how you knew what kind of dessert was coming your way with the pineapple and cream. I hope you weren’t too hungry anymore by the end of that lovely meal…
We are working on the internet problem right now, Hugh. Stay tuned! And, we “need” to somehow stay longer in Peru than three months, because my cousin and her husband have booked a trip to visit us in Cusco in November. 🙂