Cost guide · South America
How much does a gap year in South America cost?
Prices checked 7 October 2026. Figures are estimates for one person travelling from the UK.
Six months in South America costs about £12,200 on a comfortable budget, including flights from London, insurance and a 10% safety net. That works out at about £52 a day once you're there. Bolivia is the cheapest country we track here at about £32 a day, and Chile the priciest at about £71.
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What 6 months costs, item by item
| Item | What it covers | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | About £20 a night | £3,710 |
| Food and drink | About £10 a day | £1,750 |
| Daily travelling expenses | Getting around, activities, a SIM, laundry and cash machine fees | £4,050 |
| Flights | A typical return fare from London | £840 |
| Travel insurance | £180 | |
| Vaccinations and malaria tablets | £300 | |
| Yellow fever vaccine | £80 | |
| Travel kit | £300 | |
| Entry visas and travel permits | £40 | |
| Contingency | 10% of your travel costs, for things that don't go to plan | £950 |
| Total | £12,210 |
Comfortable budget means a mix of dorms and private rooms. Accommodation allows for travelling partly in peak season.
Totals for 3, 6 and 12 months
Everything above, for one person, by trip length and travel style.
| Travel style | 3 months | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| ShoestringDorms, street food, buses | £5,800 | £10,100 | £18,600 |
| Comfortable budgetA mix of dorms and private rooms | £6,900 | £12,200 | £22,900 |
| Mid-rangePrivate rooms, eating out, some tours | £10,700 | £19,900 | £38,300 |
| Treat yourselfHotels, flights between stops | £16,000 | £30,500 | £59,500 |
Daily costs by country
What a day costs per person outside peak season, cheapest first. In peak season, beds can cost about a third more.
| Country | Bed a night | Food a day | Other a day | Total a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivia | £11 | £6 | £15 | £32 |
| Peru | £11 | £6 | £16 | £33 |
| Colombia | £12 | £7 | £16 | £35 |
| Ecuador | £12 | £7 | £16 | £35 |
| Argentina | £25 | £14 | £30 | £68 |
| Brazil | £25 | £14 | £30 | £68 |
| Chile | £26 | £14 | £31 | £71 |
Comfortable budget. "Other" covers getting around, activities and everyday extras. On a shoestring, a day costs from about £26 in Bolivia to £58 in Chile.
Flights from the UK
| Flying from | Typical return |
|---|---|
| London | £840 |
| Manchester | £890 |
| Birmingham | £1,030 |
| Edinburgh or Glasgow | £1,100 |
| Other UK airports | £1,090 |
Long-haul fares are often cheaper from London. If a train or connecting flight to London costs less than the difference, it's worth pricing both.
When to go
Peak season: Peru and Bolivia: June to August. Patagonia: December to February. Brazil: Christmas to Carnival.
Before you go
As well as insurance and kit, budget for vaccinations, and malaria tablets for some areas, so book a travel clinic 6 to 8 weeks before you go; a yellow fever vaccine for some countries.
Your own figure, not an average
These are averages for one person. Your trip depends on your route, your dates, who you travel with and what keeps costing you at home: rent, bills, a car, your pension. The free questionnaire works all of that out and tells you which month you'll be ready to go.
Start the questionnaireFree. Answer a few questions about your trip and your money, and see what you need to save and when you can go.
Where these figures come from
- Daily costs: Hostelz backpacker budgets, September 2026, converted at $1.32 to the pound and adjusted for travel style using Budget Your Trip spending tiers.
- Flights: typical KAYAK return fares, October 2026.
- Insurance and vaccinations: Selectra long-stay ranges and TreatCompare UK clinic prices.
- Our own estimates: about £3 a day for everyday extras, a 10% contingency, and travel kit.
These are estimates to help you plan. Prices change, so check before you book. This isn't financial advice.