Andes, Atlantic, Amazon — and a long, generous table.
Across the 5 cities we track in South America, mid-range travellers spend about $193 per day on the ground, with Bogotá anchoring the affordable end at $128/day and Rio de Janeiro at the top at $257/day.
Common currencies include COP, ARS, PEN, BRL, CLP. Daily totals here cover accommodation, food, local transport, activities, and miscellaneous costs — flights and visas are not included. Numbers reflect shoulder season; low season trims about 15%, peak adds about 25%.
South America groups 5 cities across 5 countries that share enough on logistics, weather pattern and currency exposure to budget as one block. The top-to-bottom ratio inside the region is 2× — Rio de Janeiro runs about 2× the daily cost of Bogotá at the same mid-range tier — which is a usefully concrete way to think about where in the region to anchor a multi-stop itinerary.
South America has 5+ currencies in active use (COP, ARS, PEN, BRL, …). Assume an FX event at every border, lean on cards in cities, and only convert what you need for the next leg.
A typical 10–14 day trip across South America works well as two or three anchors — e.g., Bogotá for slower, longer days and Rio de Janeiro for one denser city stop — connected by the cheapest regional links you can find. Daily totals shift between anchors by up to 129 USD, so where you sleep matters more than how many activities you book. The single most common South America budgeting mistake is averaging the cities together: a 50/50 split between Bogotá and Rio de Janeiro doesn't cost the average — it costs whatever you actually spend in each, weighted by nights. Build the budget per-anchor, then sum.
| Window | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Low season | ~15% below the shoulder figure. Best for Bogotá-style cities where weather is acceptable year-round; worst for cities where peak weather is the entire draw. |
| Shoulder | The numbers shown on this page. The default plan in South America for cost-vs-experience balance. |
| Peak | ~25% above shoulder, sometimes more for Rio de Janeiro-class cities where peak is festival- or summer-driven. Book accommodation 8+ weeks ahead. |