What budget to travel in Colombia?

Cost of living in 2021

Sample prices for basic expenses during your trip.

• Lunch in a cheap restaurant: 9,000 pesos to 25,000 pesos (€2.4 to €6.5)
• Dinner at a cheap restaurant: 12,000 pesos to 30,000 pesos (€3.2 to €8)
• Meals in a fancy restaurant: 40,000 to 80,000 pesos (€10.5 to €21)
• Beer in a bar : 4000 to 15 000 pesos (1€ to 4€)
• Drinks in a bar (juice, soda): 3000 to 10,000 pesos (€0.8 to €2.6)
• Coffee in a bar : 3000 to 5000 pesos (0,8€ to 1,3€)

What is the budget for a plane ticket to Colombia?

The airfare is one of the most expensive parts of the budget. The price varies according to the season (July/August and December being the most expensive months). By comparing prices and planning ahead it is possible to make good deals.

Direct flight or with stopover?

There are direct flights only from Paris to Bogotá. The advantage of a direct flight is that it saves you time and is less tiring than a flight with a stopover. 

It is necessary to count at least 800€ with average prices around 1000€ for direct return flight. The cheapest flights are with a stopover.

If you live in the province, it is better to take a train to Paris or to leave from the nearest airport.

Price of a return flight France – Colombia

There are many factors that influence the price of a flight, which makes it impossible to predict. There is a seasonality of prices with average trends.

Very good deal : less than 650€.

It is possible to get a ticket at this price during the off season but it is very difficult to find. The ticket will not be available for long so if you are decided to book it without delay.

Very good deal: less than 750€ It is possible to have a ticket at this price but this kind of fare is not available for very long so you have to book it quickly.

Great deal: less than €850 It’s entirely possible to find a flight at that price by playing around a bit with the dates.

Normal price: around 1000€ This is the “normal” price of tickets. In high season it can be difficult to find cheaper.

High price: more than 1300€ This is a high price, unless it is a direct flight in high season you should be able to find cheaper quite easily.

Conclusion: the airfare budget for your trip is between 750€ and 1000€.

Best time to travel cheap in Colombia

If you are on a tight budget or are flexible on dates, there are many ways to spend less. 

According to our experience after a decade of organizing trips to Colombia the best time to get cheap airfare is February, March and April.

The most expensive plane tickets are in January, July, August and December, which is the high season as in many places.

The rest of the year prices also vary and it is possible to make good deals. You can use different flight search engines like Skyscanner or Google Flights and compare prices according to dates and/or airports.

What budget for food in Colombia?

Colombia is not necessarily known for its gastronomy, but it is possible to eat good food for very little money. Eating out is affordable compared to Europe or North America. 

There are 4 ranges of restaurants in Colombia:

• The small street stands, about 2000$ (0,50€) for an empanadas or arepas, however beware of the not always obvious hygiene conditions.
• Popular cheap restaurants, ideal for lunch almuerzo. Expect to pay between 9,000 pesos (€2.40) and 15,000 pesos (€4) per person for a simple but complete meal, usually appetizer/soup + main course + drink.
• Good restaurants, better service and more refined dishes from 20,000 pesos (€5.2) to 50,000 pesos (€13).
• Very good restaurants with beautiful locations and/or exceptional dishes from 50,000 pesos (€13) to 150,000 pesos (€39).

Hotel budget, when to book hotels in Colombia?

Colombia is an increasingly popular tourist destination, to get the best hotels we advise you to plan your trip in advance. 

Booking six to eight months in advance allows you to have rooms in the best hotels and possibly at a low price. If you book via online platforms, be careful about the rating and comments of previous customers because not all hotels are the same and there are big differences in quality.

What is the daily budget for a trip to Colombia?

All prices exist in Colombia, it is possible to travel with a very small budget being careful as it is possible to spend a lot. 

Small Budget 20€/day/person

For Mochileros (backpackers) it is possible to travel in Colombia with a budget of 20€/day for accommodation + food + local transportation.

It is necessary to add to that the long transports (bus, plane), the activities (treks, excursions, museums…) and evenings (alcohol, entrance in discotheques, night cab…).

• Cheap accommodation in dormitory or shared double room: between $25,000 (€6) and $60,000 (€15) per night depending on location.
• Food breakfast + 2 meals in good restaurants, supermarkets or cooking yourself: between 6€ and 12€ per day.
• Transportation, use of public transport, walking, average taxi/uber ride: between 0€ and 5€ per day.

It is possible to find cheaper in non-touristy places but in the more frequented areas it is the minimum budget necessary. 

Average budget 50€/day/person

A medium budget allows you to have basic comfort and enjoy your stay by eating in restaurants and going on excursions.

• Accommodation in a shared single or double room: between 60,000 pesos (€15) and 115,000 pesos (€30) per night depending on the city.
• Food breakfast + 2 meals in cheap restaurants: between 12€ and 25€ per day.
• Getting around by walking, several taxi/uber rides average between 0€ and 10€ per day.

You have to add to that the long transports (bus, plane), the activities (treks, excursions, museums…) and parties (alcohol, cocktails…).

Big Budget 100€+/day/person

A big budget allows you to stay in comfortable hotels, eat in good restaurants and travel with cab or private driver.

• Comfortable accommodation in single or double shared rooms: from 115,000 pesos (€30) per night depending on the city.
• Food breakfast + 2 meals in good restaurants: from 25€ per day.
• Walking around, several taxi/uber rides, private driver: from 20€ per day.

You have to add to that the long transports (bus, plane), the activities (treks, excursions, museums…) and parties (alcohol, cocktails…).

Now you have a better idea of what to budget for your trip, if you have any specific questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to contact us.