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Traveling through Colombia was an absolute delight for me. It is hands down one of my favorite countries in South America. Not only is Colombia fairly safe, it is also cheap.
It is actually cheaper to eat out than to cook your own meals.
Complete 38 days Colombia spending breakdown
Flight from Medellin to Bogota - 14,280 COP ($7.14 CAD) and 4500 Avios Miles
Canadian Reciprocation Fee to Colombia - 190,000 COP ($95 CAD)
Ipiales to Pasto Bus - 9,000 COP ($4.50 CAD)
Las Vegas Hotel Ipiales - 40,000 COP ($20 CAD)
Pasto to Bogota Bus - 132,000 COP ($66 CAD)
1 month cell phone (15 days, 2 loads, 2 gigs total) - 44,000 COP ($22 CAD)
Canadian Passport Renewal - 491,000 COP (245.50 CAD)
Passport photo - 15,000 COP ($7.50 CAD)
Workaway fee - 78,880 COP (29 USD or $39.44 CAD)
Couchsurfing fee - 70,720 COP (26 USD or $35.36 CAD)
ATM fee - 40,000 COP (20 CAD)
Bogota to Villa de Leyva Bus - 24,000 COP ($12 CAD)
Posada Santa Catalina - 10,000 COP ($5 CAD)
Villa de Leyva to Tunja Bus - 7,000 COP ($3.50 CAD)
Razor - 22,600 COP ($11 CAD)
Tunja to San Gil Bus - 30,000 COP ($15 CAD)
Haircut - 32,000 COP ($16 CAD)
San Gil to Barichara Bus - 4,800 COP ($2.40 CAD)
Hostal Casa Nacuma accommodation for 2 nights - 70,000 COP ($35 CAD)
Bus from Guane to Barichara - 2,000 COP ($1 CAD)
Montanita Hostel 2 night accommodation - 39,600 COP ($19.80 CAD)
Bus from Chicamocha to Bucaramanga - 10,000 COP ($5 CAD)
La Flaca Hostel 1 night accommodation - 25,000 COP ($12.50 CAD)
Bus from Bucaramanga to Medellin - $30 CAD (60,000 COP)
Green Hill Hostel 3 night accommodation with laundry service - 87,000 COP ($43.50 CAD)
Medellin to Guatape Bus - 13,500 COP ($6.75 CAD)
Toilet fee - 2,000 COP ($1 CAD)
Guatape to Medellin Airport Road Bus - 10,000 COP ($5 CAD)
Tips - 7,150 COP ($3.58 CAD)
Medellin Airport road to Medellin Airport - 1,600 COP ($0.80 CAD)
Laundry - 4,000 COP ($2 CAD)
Food, groceries, and water - 650,227 COP ($325.11 CAD)
Taxi - 130,450 COP ($65.23 CAD)
Uber - 76,223.03 COP ($38.11 CAD)
Shampoo - 7,800 COP ($3.90 CAD)
Tickets to La Pieda - 18,000 COP ($9 CAD)
Air Bnb Laureles - 32,000 COP (16 CAD)
Total Colombia spending: 2,501,240 COP ($1,250.62 CAD)
Total Colombia spending without Canadian passport renewal: 2,010,240 COP ($1,005.12 CAD)
Average daily Colombia spending: 65,822.11 COP ($32.91 CAD)
Average daily Colombia spending without Canadian passport renewal: 52,901 COP per day ($26.45 CAD)
Total Points and Miles spent: 19,000 Starwood Points spent for a 7 night free stay at Four Points by Sheraton Bogota, 4,000 Starwood Points spent for 2 night free stay at Four Points by Sheraton Medellin. 4500 Avios miles spent for a LATAM flight from Medellin to Bogota.
One of the biggest reasons why my spending in Colombia is not as low as it could have been, is because of my Canadian passport renewal. I was running out of passport pages, so I had to pay the embassy a processing fee. However, the cost of most my travels through Colombia has been greatly reduced thanks to using Travel Hacking techniques to get free hotel stays. I did my first workaway volunteer job at a hostel in Guatape, allowing me to save even more money on accommodation and food.
I will definitely return to this country to further explore it and possibly even live here for several months as I try and get fluent at speaking Spanish.
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