Overland Budget: How Much It Costs to Drive South America

The question that comes up at every bar table among Brazilian overlanders is the same: "how much do I spend per month driving out there?"

The real answer is "it depends a lot", but that doesn't help anyone make a decision. So we're going to give a useful answer: three trip profiles, spending categories and a comparison among the South American countries, all in USD to last longer.

In short: driving as a pair, you can travel between USD 800 and 4,500 a month, depending on the style. Fuel, lodging and food are 70-85% of the budget. Bolivia is the cheapest, Uruguay and Chile the most expensive, Argentina is the most unpredictable.

Why everything in USD and in ranges

Before any number, three rules for you to use the post with good sense:

Values in USD, not in reais, pesos or bolivianos. The dollar is more stable and has a global reference. The exchange rate of the real and local currencies swings too much to serve as a long reference.

Ranges, not fixed numbers. "Fuel in Argentina between USD 1.00 and 1.30 per liter" holds for months.

Check the updated value before leaving. Use this post to calculate magnitude (I'll spend between X and Y), not to close an exact spreadsheet. Argentine inflation and the exchange rate in general change fast.

The 3 trip profiles

For a pair, driving at a typical pace of 1,500 to 2,500 km per month:

Economy profile: USD 800 to 1,500/month

How you live: wild camping or cheap paid camping, sleeping at a gas station at no cost, cooking your own food with the local market, free sightseeing (parks without an expensive entrance, viewpoints, trails), zero hotel.

Who it's for: a long trip (6+ months), a retiree on a tight budget, a young person who has time but not money, whoever works remotely and wants to maximize road time.

Mid profile: USD 1,500 to 2,500/month

How you live: a mix of paid camping and an occasional hostel, mixing your own cooking with a restaurant 1-2x a week, some paid sightseeing (Perito Moreno, a day of tour at Uyuni, national parks with an entrance ticket), a decent hot shower every night.

Who it's for: a 2 to 4-month trip with reasonable comfort, a sabbatical with a saved salary, a young couple on a long vacation.

Comfort profile: USD 2,500 to 4,500/month

How you live: a hotel or cabin most nights, regular restaurants, complete sightseeing without cutting anything, a motorhome with diesel everywhere, good internet at every destination.

Who it's for: a 3 to 6-week vacation with short time and available money, a retiree who wants to enjoy it well, a celebratory trip.

Where the money goes (relative weight in the budget)

No matter the profile, the typical distribution is similar:

Fuel: 30 to 45% of the budget. It's always the biggest item.

Lodging: 15 to 30%. Whoever sleeps for free (a gas station, wild camping) drops to near 5%.

Food: 20 to 30%. Cooking your own food halves it.

Attractions and sightseeing: 5 to 15%. It can be zero if it's "just driving".

Maintenance, borders, tolls, communication: 5 to 10%.

Unexpected costs: set aside 10 to 15% always. A punctured tire, a burning clutch, a health surprise. Without a reserve, the trip jams.

Category by category

Fuel (the main item)

For a mid-size car with a consumption of 10 to 12 km/L driving 2,000 km/month:

Brazil: USD 1.00 to 1.20 per liter of gasoline. Typical monthly cost: USD 170-240.

Argentina: USD 1.00 to 1.30. It varied a lot in 2024-2025 with a change in subsidy. Check beforehand.

Chile: USD 1.40 to 1.60. Expensive fuel, mainly diesel.

Uruguay: USD 1.70 to 1.90. It's the most expensive in the region.

Bolivia: the price for a foreigner is between USD 1.30 and 1.70 (the subsidized local price, USD 0.55, doesn't apply to you). Some stations refuse to sell to a foreign plate.

Paraguay: USD 1.00 to 1.20. Cheap, worth filling up before crossing.

Peru: USD 1.20 to 1.40.

A tip that saves: the Patagonian wind cuts consumption by 30%. Calculate range conservatively in windy regions.

Lodging

Wild camping or a gas station: USD 0. It's the base of the economy budget.

Simple paid camping (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay): USD 5 to 15 per night.

Paid camping in Argentina and Chile: USD 15 to 35. It went up a lot.

Paid camping in Uruguay: USD 20 to 40.

Hostel shared room: USD 12 to 25.

Simple hotel/inn: USD 30 to 70.

A cabin or tourist lodging: USD 50 to 150.

Food

Cooking, as a pair:

Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay: USD 8 to 15 per day at the market.

Peru, Argentina: USD 12 to 25 per day.

Chile, Uruguay: USD 20 to 40 per day.

Restaurant (main dish per person):

Bolivia, Paraguay: USD 4 to 10.

Brazil, Peru, Argentina: USD 8 to 20.

Chile, Uruguay: USD 15 to 35.

Borders, insurance and fees

Mercosur insurance (Green Card): USD 100 to 200 for 30 days, USD 300 to 500 for 90 days. Mandatory. (Some Brazilian insurers include the green card for free in the policy, talk to your broker.)

Chile's SOAP (mandatory local insurance): USD 15 to 30 per month.

Border-crossing fees: almost everything is free for Brazilians. Some customs charge a small free-trade-zone fee.

An occasional fine: budget USD 50 to 100 per month.

Maintenance and unexpected costs

Oil change plus filters (every 5,000 to 10,000 km): USD 60 to 150 depending on the country. Argentina is expensive for an imported part.

A new tire (1 or 2 on a long trip): USD 100 to 250 each.

An unexpected repair: no ceiling. That's what the 10-15% reserve is for.

Main attractions (paid entrances)

Perito Moreno Glacier (Argentina): USD 35 to 50 per person.

Torres del Paine Park (Chile): USD 30 to 45.

Sightseeing in Atacama: USD 20 to 60 per tour, each.

3-day Salar de Uyuni tour (Bolivia): USD 150 to 220.

Machu Picchu (Peru): USD 70 to 100 with a basic train.

Tolls

Argentina: USD 1 to 3 per toll. Cheap.

Brazil: varies a lot by state. The SP-RJ coast is expensive, the southern BR-101 is cheaper.

Chile: USD 8 to 20 on the main highways. High.

Uruguay: USD 5 to 10 per toll, and the Brazilian electronic tag doesn't work, you need to register beforehand, check our post on this topic.

Communication

A local prepaid SIM: USD 5 to 15 per month, per country.

An international eSIM: USD 30 to 80 per month with regional coverage.

Starlink Roam: USD 50 to 150 per month, only worth it if you work remotely or travel in a motorhome.

A quick comparison among countries

From cheapest to most expensive to drive and live:

Bolivia: cheap food, lodging and attractions. Bad fuel.

Paraguay: good at almost everything, cheap fuel.

Peru: affordable food, paid attractions weigh (Machu Picchu).

Brazil: varies a lot by region.

Argentina: volatile. When the exchange rate favors the dollar, it's cheap; when it stabilizes, it's like Uruguay.

Chile: expensive at almost everything. Fuel, food and camping hurt.

Uruguay: the most expensive in the region. A short country, so the impact on the total budget is smaller.

Practical care so you don't blow the budget

Always USD in cash as a reserve. Bolivia and Argentina (on the parallel exchange rate) work better with dollars than with a card.

An international card with a Visa/Mastercard exchange rate avoids the IOF tax and bad withdrawal fees.

Update your calculation every 60 days. The exchange rate and local inflation don't wait for you.

Don't trust the budget of an overlander who drove more than 1 year ago. Argentina mainly. Use it only to estimate magnitude.

An unexpected cost isn't an "if", it's a "when". A 10-15% reserve is a rule, not a luxury.

So how much will I spend?

If you want a number to put in the spreadsheet today, use these ranges as a starting point for a pair:

Short trip (30 days, mid profile): USD 1,800 to 2,800 total.

Mid trip (90 days, mid profile): USD 5,000 to 8,000 total.

Long sabbatical (6 months, economy profile): USD 5,000 to 9,000 total.

Complete Brazil-Ushuaia round trip (60 to 80 days, mid profile): USD 3,500 to 6,500 total.

For a solo motorcycle, cut 30-40%. For a big diesel motorhome, add 30-50% in fuel alone.