How Much to Backpack South America: 45-Day Grand Tour backpackr

How much to backpack South America on a 45-day grand tour across Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Santiago, Lima, Cusco, and La Paz? The answer is about $31 per day, totaling roughly $1,395 for accommodation and daily expenses, plus $1,200 to $1,600 for ground transport and intercity flights. Six cities in four countries, spanning from sea-level steak culture to 3,600-meter altiplano markets, this route covers the continent's greatest hits while keeping costs manageable through a mix of budget capitals and genuinely cheap Andean stops. All prices on this page are in USD.

Buenos Aires sets the tone with late-night dining culture, San Telmo's Sunday antique market, and steak dinners that run $8 to $12 for a quality cut at a neighborhood parrilla. Mendoza pivots to wine country, where Malbec tastings at boutique wineries cost $5 to $10 (the same bottles retail for $30 to $50 internationally). Santiago brings a modern, efficient contrast, sandwiched between the Andes and the Pacific, with Mercado Central's seafood lunches at $6 to $10 and a metro system that makes the city navigable without taxis. Lima is widely regarded as the food capital of the Americas, and the set-lunch menu del dia at neighborhood restaurants ($2 to $3 for three courses) is the single best food value on this route. Cusco delivers Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and enough altitude to humble anyone. La Paz closes with cable car transit, witch markets, and costs so low that the $31 daily average feels generous.

The route's budget math works because of geographic price arbitrage. Buenos Aires and Santiago are the pricier anchors ($35 to $45 per day), while Lima, Cusco, and La Paz pull the average down ($20 to $30 per day). Hostel beds range from $5 in La Paz to $18 in Buenos Aires. Food costs follow the same pattern: a full dinner in Buenos Aires is $10 to $15, while the same quality meal in La Paz is $3 to $5.

Ground transport and flights between cities total $1,200 to $1,600. The smart strategy is to fly two or three of the longer legs (Santiago to Lima saves 50+ hours of overland travel for $80 to $130) and bus the rest. Buenos Aires to Mendoza is a comfortable 14-hour overnight bus for $25 to $40. Mendoza to Santiago crosses the Andes by bus in 7 hours ($20 to $30) with some of the most dramatic mountain scenery on the continent. The Cusco to La Paz leg involves a Puno border crossing by tourist bus for $15 to $25.

What makes this 45-day combination work is the escalating contrast. The route moves from cosmopolitan Southern Cone capitals (Buenos Aires, Santiago) into the raw cultural intensity of the Andes (Cusco, La Paz), with Lima as the pivot point. Each country transition brings a currency change, a food tradition shift, and a cost adjustment that keeps the experience from feeling repetitive. Wine country to salt flats in six weeks is a range that few other continents can match at this price point.