1

WHAT did you want to see in Chile and Argentina? If tickets are cheaper into BA I'd do it that way... but it might depend on where exactly you want to go.

When you say 'quite a small budget', how much is that? Sth America is often shockingly expensive to people who've come across from Asia, and Chile, Argentina and Brazil are the most expensive countries (think $60-$80 a day on a reasonable backpacking budget). Transport is a major cost in these 3 countries, and distances are huge, so you want to plan for the most efficient route if budget is an issue.

2

just came back from 6 months in south america and i will say do some research on currency exchange for your country!!!! CHILE IS UBER EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

3

It's true that Argentina, Chile and Brazil will seem super expensive after India. #1 gives you a good idea of what to expect price wise.

I think the most sensible route would be fly into BA, then up to Southern Brazil, then down again, across to Chile then north up the west side to Colombia.

Check out American Airlines. I flew them last year Delhi to BA for around $800, far cheaper than every other airline.

4

yeah I'm aware of that it's expensive.

What i meant was that I'm not on a very low budget. I just want to travel as cheap as possible. I could afford to spend 2500$/ month. But of course i want to get away cheaper than that..

Rio is a city i want to visit and spend som time in.
How about the option to start in Rio,and go down towards BA and Argentina and then turno over to Chile and go up along the west coast and Bolivia?

5

Yes starting in Rio would be much more sensible, apologies I thought you could only find reasonable flights to BA/Santiago.

This year I spent $1500 per month in Argentina/Chile. That was a pretty tight budget however.

6

i know what you mean that was around my budget looking back ive gone bankrupt by staying in south america for 6 months it is toooo expensive not wat imagined.

I would just skip Chile i went and wish i had skipped it and gone to Brazil which everyone seems to rave about.... brazilians are the nicest people i met in south america and the girls are gorgeous and nice not like the Snobby Argentine girls lol

Edited by: Yumaviaja

7

But what a way to go bankrupt, Yumaviaja! LOL! :-)

8

What tips have you got for budgetting for $1500 per month in Argentina/Chile Hazzdawg?

9

The usual things.

Avoid eating at restaurants. Take away can be pretty cheap depending on where you are, or look for a hostel with a kitchen. You can buy excellent steak from supermarkets very cheap. Add Chimichuri and you´ve got a restaurant quality feed for very little money.

Long distance buses will be your biggest expense and mostly unavoidable. Travel slowly to minimise daily spending. There are some trains which are much cheaper but routes and schedules are minimal. Hitchhiking is possible, more common in the south.

Avoid taxis unless you are in a group to share the costs. City buses are very cheap but much sure you have correct change. You need to plan your route and speak some spanish to use them easily.

Avoid tours whenever possible. Most excursions can be done independently with local transport for much cheaper. Ask around at your hostel for companions so you don´t get lonely.

Keep partying to a minimum. Drinking in the hostel is okay but steer clear of those fancy nightclubs or upmarket bars.

Hiking and trekking is basically free if you have equipment or still very cheap if you rent. It´s also one of the most rewarding things to do in Argentina and Chile.

$1500 per month is what I traveled on following these rules one year ago. Due to inflation I imagine Argentina would be much more expensive. However these days you can exchange $US for pesos at a blackmarket rate which saves a lot of money. The safest method as recommended on this forum is through a company called zoom (google it)