How Much Does 1 Month in South America Cost? 5-City Budget Itinerary

A 1 month argentina and colombia and peru itinerary budget covering Cartagena, Medellin, Lima, Cusco, and Buenos Aires fits 5 cities across 3 countries into one month. That works out to roughly 6 days per stop, enough time to settle into each city without rushing to the next bus station. At the backpackr level, daily costs average $35/day, covering a hostel dorm bed (averaging $11/night), three meals ($8/day), and local transport ($3/day). The price gap between the cheapest city (Cusco at $16.48/day) and the priciest (Buenos Aires at $51.49/day) is worth planning around. All prices on this page are in USD.

Hostel dorm rates vary across the 5 stops. The cheapest beds are in Cusco ($7.42/night) and Lima ($8.64/night), while Buenos Aires ($17.51/night) and Medellin ($10.51/night) sit at the top. Food costs average $8/day for the route. Cusco is the cheapest place to eat at $4.53/day, while Buenos Aires runs $16.99/day for three meals. Inter-city ground transport for the full route comes to $873 to $1180, depending on whether you prioritize budget buses or faster trains. Adding it up: 30 days of accommodation, food, local transport, and inter-city travel comes to roughly $1043 to $2224 before international flights.

This route works because the cities complement rather than repeat each other. The jump from Buenos Aires ($51.49/day) to Cusco ($16.48/day) is more than a cost difference; it is a full reset in pace, food culture, and street-level energy. The Lima to Cusco connection runs 22 hours by bus starting at $25. Costs build gradually along the route, from $23.27/day in Cartagena up to $51.49/day in Buenos Aires, so front-loading cheaper cities buys time to adjust the budget. All stops align for April, May, September, October, and November travel, when drier conditions and moderate temperatures make each city more walkable and enjoyable.

April, May, September, October, and November is the recommended window, balancing good weather with reasonable hostel availability. Avoid January, February, March, and December when conditions are less favorable for overland travel. The cost table below breaks down exactly what each city costs per day, sorted so the cheapest stop (Cusco) stands out immediately. Below that, the transport section shows pricing and duration for every city-to-city connection on the route. Toggle between the brokepackr, backpackr, and flashpackr tiers to see how costs shift at each spending level.