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.
In January, Mark, Maya, and I continued our Colombian overland explorations in Thirsty Bella, our truck camper disguised as a cow. As expected, we are spreading joy and smiles driving through villages and the countryside. And we are getting stuck in narrow town centers and battered by country roads a lot, too.
(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
Our grocery amount was decent and similar to the previous month. We are eating out regularly now, which might explain a drop in grocery costs and a jump in eating out. Life is much cheaper in Colombia than in the US, allowing us to splurge more. A decent dinner costs around $5-$8 a meal. It’s possible to eat cheaper and more expensive. Grocery shopping is affordable.
While in the US and Canada we always camped for free, mostly in nature. Once we arrived in South America, it’s been a mix of boondocking in or on the edge of towns or along roads and paid campgrounds. That’s what the accommodation cost of almost $100 is attributed to.
On average, campsites cost $4 a person per day. Don’t expect hookups for that. We merely pay for a flat place to park in a safe environment. Sometimes, there are amenities like showers, toilets, and trash cans. Once in a while, a common space like a kitchen, firepit, or lounge and laundry facilities are available. Secure overnight parking in a lot is cheaper at around $2 a night.
Our cost for internet was high last month. We paid $50 for our Google Fi plan, which allowed international roaming. Warned that this option was going to be suspended in February, we finally registered our phones in Colombia (mandatory by law) and bought local Claro SIM cards and data plans. The good news: internet is cheap in this country; the equivalent of $20 for 80GB of data (valid for one month). Propane is affordable and we use much less with our electric fridge. Most of the potable water we obtained (up to 48 gallons) was free.
In February, we planned a visit to our friends Susan and John in El Retiro, near Medellin. They blog about their worldwide travels and Colombian expat life on Latitude Adjustment. This provided us with a shipping address – yes, Amazon ships certain items to Colombia! – so we ordered a few camper necessities, like a waterproof tarp, new propane hose, fridge thermostat, and water filters. Our alcohol expense was decent.
Last month, we also managed to apply for – and receive – visa extensions. If I would have entered the country with my Belgian passport, this would have been free for me. But I boasted my US citizenship when arriving, so I had to pay the same amount as Mark, around $23. Totally worth being able to spend another three months in Colombia, of course! Recently, we managed to get the same extension for Thirsty Bella from Customs (free). All of us can now legally stay in the country until May 8th.
In Villa de Leyva, while driving to a water spigot to top off our tanks, we passed through a narrow road, of which there are many in Colombia. It was a route we’d taken before, except, this time, a car was parked a distance from the curb. Instead of jumping out of the passenger seat like I usually do, I estimated we’d clear everything. When Mark rounded the parked car, we could hear roof tiles clatter onto the cobblestones. Darn…
Our ladder had hit the decorative, overhanging tiles topping a cute gate. Luckily, the owners were relaxed about the scene and no harm was done to our camper. We gladly reimbursed the lady for eight broken tiles and the labor to fix the gate. Being in Colombia, paying for the damage didn’t set us back too much! That was the miscellaneous category.
Besides hiking and exploring some natural sites and historic centers for free, we “splurged” on entertainment last month, visiting an interesting fossil museum in Villa de Leyva (El Fosil), hot springs in Iza (Piscina Erika), and a gorgeous waterfall near Gambita. Each destination was worth a stop or a strenuous hike!
The other categories were on the low end. Early January, I did laundry at a campground – three loads in three days, hanging everything to dry outside. The rest of the month, we washed by hand.
Camped for free on the edge of
Villa de Leyva and doing laundry by hand – the town offers free water
We took taxis a couple of times in skinny Barichara (“transportation”), I needed aspirin and more acetaminophen for my headaches, Maya could use more treats, we bought a gift for friends, and I finally received a professional haircut. The hairdresser took pride in her work and finished with 10 minutes of hair blowing. This unnecessary touch-up cost an extra 5,000 pesos ($1), totaling $6 for the entire experience. Oh, and Mark drank one beer out as well. At these prices, it is easy, fun, and possible for us to support local businesses!
We didn’t quite make it under $900, but we keep trying. Luckily, February only has 28 days. Our goal is to spend less than $800 a month in South America. We still have a way to go. Colombia is probably the cheapest country of the continent, so if we fail here, we might have to alter that target.
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.
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February 17, 2023 at 17:39
Considering how much everything has gone up here, too bad you can’t stay there longer!
Wild you can camp and get a kitchen like that.
I’m guessing Columbia is not a destination for newbies just learning how to live like you do?
February 21, 2023 at 15:08
Hi Alex!
Because so many things about this lifestyle come easy to us, after twenty years, I don’t really think about the difficulties of it anymore. I guess Colombia would be tricky for first-time RVers, as there are many other elements to consider and deal with than traveling in the US and Canada.
The language, currency, culture, road system, shopping experiences,… pretty much everything is different and requires an adjustment. On top of the actual living in a camper and finding resources and places to park overnight. Driving here is very stressful, difficult, and quite dangerous.
I guess that answers your question, haha. Nope. Not for the faint of heart to camp and RV in Colombia. 🙂
February 17, 2023 at 17:44
So beautiful! I can’t wait to be on the road again! And you guys hit something too. At least your accident was easier to resolve.
You did great with your money – and got to eat out too! I’m taken aback by how cheap everything is in Columbia. I guess it’s a good thing Google threatened to turn off the data plan – you got a much better plan for cheaper.
I’ve never ridden in a Tuk tuk but they have them here in Oaxaca. Public transportation is always an adventure.
What country is next?
February 21, 2023 at 15:22
Hi Duwan,
You’ll be on the road soon again as well. And, hopefully, no more snafus!
I hope you are right that our problem is easier to fix than that of Ballena Blanca. You might remember our structural issue with this camper from when we met you. We tried to reinforce this particular area in St. Helen’s, but it didn’t hold on these crappy Colombian roads. (Believe me, you haven’t seen or experienced anything like these roads in Mexico or US national forests.)
This will be our second attempt at trying to fix the issue. If this one fails, we will have huge problems as that would mean the wood ripped through and we can’t keep using the camper (as it is). Fingers crossed that this recent fix holds!!
Actually, you meant the roof tiles with “accident”. Sorry. I thought you referred to the pothole and tope we missed, which created damage and us sitting at a campground for a week. Yes, that “accident” was easy to resolve. A couple of chats in Spanish and a contribution of $20. It took half an hour in total. We are fortunate no other parties or insurances were involved. By the way, yesterday, we ran down some electrical wires… Colombia has been tough.
Yes, the affordability of this country is incredibly nice. If we can’t live cheaply here, we can’t anywhere. If we would live here like in the US – rarely eating out, never staying in campgrounds, and only visiting free tourist attractions, we’d be able to live on $600 a month. But what fun is that. 🙂
We were actually not getting a lot of success with Google Fi in Colombia and planned on switching over by the end of last month anyway, so this was extra incentive. Whenever we cross the border, though, we will miss having this easy internet solution as we will have to do all the research – and buying SIM cards and data – again.
After our extra three months here, we keep heading south. Ecuador will be next. 🙂
February 17, 2023 at 21:18
What a great time it looks like you’re having, Liesbet. You guys are amazing.
February 21, 2023 at 15:23
Hi Jacqui,
As with every lifestyle, we have our ups and downs, but all in all Colombia has been great. Soon, I’ll recall our Christmas story here, which will have most of you cringe.
February 17, 2023 at 22:19
Amazing job of keeping your expenses so low. Glad the accident was minor.
February 21, 2023 at 15:29
Thanks, Pete. Yes, this accident was minor. One day, I should recall all the trees, electrical wires, bushes, branches, potholes, bumps, dips, sunken road surfaces, speed bumps, plastic roofs, gates, other cars, etc. we have hit or run into in Colombia. It hasn’t been pretty. Especially the roads are awful here. Mark just said that the main reason we will be ready to leave Colombia is because of the driving and the roads. It’s been insane – the situations, the scenes, the conditions, … Crazy!
February 17, 2023 at 22:34
$6 for a haircut?!
I’m definitely not going to share what I spent for mine yesterday!
Jacqui is right – you guys are definitely amazing!
February 21, 2023 at 15:32
Haha, Donna. I have heard tales about how much hairdressers cost in the US and Canada. When I could get a haircut in the US for $24 (ouch), that was considered cheap. I only splurged on that once or twice a year and tried to always get a cut in Mexico instead. I’m very happy the price is less here. Maybe I’ll now get a haircut every four months or so. We will see!
I saw a man get his haircut for $3 at the same place. When I mentioned this to Mark, he still preferred to cut his hair himself with clippers. Cost:$0. You know us… 🙂
February 18, 2023 at 09:56
Liesbet, you’ve got your expenses down to three figures. . . amazing!
My favorite things: The clothes line + your fresh haircut.
February 21, 2023 at 15:34
Now I know why you liked that clothesline so much, Marian. 🙂 This haircut was actually one of the best I’d ever gotten. As well as the cheapest one. And let’s hope we can keep those monthly expenses under three digits for a few years.
Inflation must have gone up, because I remember having months under $500 during our sailing years (2007 – 2015) and when RVing in Central America in 2006.
February 18, 2023 at 10:23
Stunning scenery! The waterfalls are particularly beautiful and i love your shot with the pink flower.
February 21, 2023 at 15:35
The photo with the pink flower and waterfall closeup came out really well. During this hike, I had to take a lot of photos as an excuse to catch my breath. It was a super strenuous event at a higher altitude, which made me pay with a huge migraine afterwards. But it was worth it! 🙂
February 21, 2023 at 17:06
Sorry about the migraine, that’s horrible.
February 24, 2023 at 14:59
Yes. I’m trying to pick my battles with that one, and only go on strenuous hikes when I think the destination is worth the migraine. 🙂
February 18, 2023 at 13:46
Wow, you’re doing so well! And what beautiful scenery! How far in advance do you have to apply for visas to enter each country down there? Is it a fairly straight-forward process?
February 21, 2023 at 15:43
Hi Diane,
To enter Colombia, we just had to fill out a form online the day before we arrived and didn’t need a visa. Getting the entry stamp for three months was free. Some countries allow extensions, which we applied for here. I called it an extension for our visa, which was probably a misnomer, but I didn’t know what else to call it. An extension of our time here as visitors… 🙂
In Ecuador, you also get three months as a starter. The amount of time you can stay in each country depends on your nationality and the country’s allowances and requirements. For example, getting an extension in Ecuador, I hear, is possible but pricey.
The only country we need a visa for in South America is Bolivia, which allows visitors to stay a maximum of 90 days (I think), for Americans anyway. Some research is required before entering each country, but so far, the process to enter – and extend – is fairly straightforward for Americans and Europeans.
February 18, 2023 at 17:25
Bravo on your budget. Great seeing you guys and thanks for the shout out about our blog. Much appreciated! Cheers!
February 21, 2023 at 15:45
We are hoping February will be a winner in the budget department. Partly thanks to you guys, as the laundry cost will be minimal. 🙂 It was fantastic meeting you two and I do hope our paths will cross again!!!
February 19, 2023 at 18:02
Hi Liesbet, I ditto Maryanne’s favorites – the clothes line and the new haircut. I think you guys lived pretty well and have no doubt you will reach your target. Will you have to renew your Visa’s every three months or will you eventually apply for resident status?
February 21, 2023 at 15:56
Hi Suzanne,
Interesting that your photo favorites were the same as Marian’s. I guess that’s the personal touch – photos from our real lifestyle and life, the intimate stuff. The inside scoop. 🙂
A tourist is only allowed to stay in Colombia for a total of six months out of every calendar year. So we could potentially add another month and a half here in 2023. But after being in this country for six months, we will be ready to move on. The awful roads are wearing on us.
So, we do not plan on becoming residents of Colombia. Not while we are traveling by RV. The idea is to see and explore South America in its entirety over the coming years. We will stay as long as the governments allow us to stay – or as long as we enjoy being there. 🙂
February 20, 2023 at 06:19
Stunning scenery! The waterfalls are particularly beautiful and i love your shot with the pink flower.
February 21, 2023 at 15:59
Hi Max,
Welcome to Roaming About and thanks for leaving a comment.
Soon, I hope to start posting more detailed blogs about our experiences in Colombia with heaps of photos. Stay tuned! I’m a bit bummed that I’m so far behind with my writing and sharing here, but I don’t have much time for computer work these months.
My Roaming About Facebook page (see sidebar) contains new photos almost every day and is pretty much up to date. 🙂
February 21, 2023 at 09:35
Good to hear how cheap wifi is. I had a feeling it would cost you guys more. Is it as reliable as the wifi was in the USA?
I think I’d put on a lot of weight eating out. That food looks so mouthwatering, Liesbet. No wonder you guys are eating out more.
And the communal kitchen looks lovely. I was amazed at how tidy and clean it looked. Is everyone responsible for cleaning up after themselves? If so, they all do a great job.
February 21, 2023 at 16:05
Hi Hugh,
Surprisingly, every sizable town in Colombia has cell tower antennas and therefore, getting online is pretty reliable. During the 3.5 months that we have been in this country, only once or twice were we not able to get online. Of course once that just happened when I had a job, so we needed to move elsewhere. Honestly, I’ve had more struggles with getting on the internet in the US (with its many remote areas) than in Colombia.
So far, we’ve stayed at two campgrounds with communal kitchens, because people tent camp there or the grounds contain a hostel. Usually, people clean up after themselves. That’s common sense and an unspoken rule. But, as always and everywhere, there are people who are ignorant, careless, or feel entitled and they leave a mess, like in our recent campground in Medellin.
Mark and I rarely use the kitchen facilities, because we have our own kitchen and equipment. I once made lunch in the last communal kitchen and I first had to clean the counter to use it, it took me forever to find all the utensils I needed, plus we prefer cooking with our own pots and pans and cutting with our own chef’s knife and cutting board. 🙂
February 22, 2023 at 10:28
I don’t blame you for wanting to use your own cooking facilities, Liesbet. It’s a shame that a few make it worse for those of us that obey by the rules who clean up after ourselves. My blood boils when dog walkers do not clean up after their dogs,. It gives the rest of us dog walkers a bad name.
Good to hear about the wifi. You made me laugh when you mentioned it’s probably better than some of the wifi in the USA.
February 24, 2023 at 15:16
I’m with you about a few people always having to ruin it for the (responsible) ones. Get this: a couple of days ago, Maya did her business in a local park with a children’s playground on the edge of a touristy town in Colombia. I picked it up, scanned for a trashcan, and didn’t find one. Then, I spotted a bunch of big garbage bags full of trash on one of the street corners. This is often how garbage is left here and picked up by dump trucks. (Another blood boiling event as dogs and vultures get in the trash and spread it around.)
I walked over to one of the bags and attempted to stuff the dog poop into it. The owner of the house (and small store) next to the bags came outside and told me I couldn’t put “that” in the bags… When I asked what to do, he urged me to carry the baggie into town, ten minutes away.
This is what I eventually did, but how bizarre, right? Of course, the strays and other dogs just shit where they want and nobody picks it up. I wish my Spanish was good enough to ask the guy if that was a better solution and if we should do the same with Maya’s poop…
February 28, 2023 at 07:27
It makes me thankful for the rubbish and recycling facilities we have, Liesbet. I’ll never complain about them again.
March 5, 2023 at 12:18
An advantage of the Western World! 🙂
February 21, 2023 at 22:21
I’m amazed at how inexpensive it is. You should be able to meet February’s goal!
February 24, 2023 at 15:01
Hi Deb,
Four days left in February and we are currently $50 short of $800. We will see what happens and how many groceries we need next time we shop. 🙂 I think we are fine with fuel until the end of the month and we plan on free camping all the way… 🙂