Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast.

I think a lot of people skip my expense reports, because they are not interested in the financial details of our nomadic lifestyle. But these posts offer a glimpse behind the scenes and show the practicalities of a life on the road; the photos providing a sense of the action. Plus, because I’m so behind with my regular travel posts, these reports are the most up to date about what’s recently going on with the three of us.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Wonderful views in the Colombian mountains

Congested town centers

Botero Plaza, Medellin

Mural in the center of Medellin

A dogfood dispenser for strays in Guatape, what a concept!

Glimpse of the Guatape reservoir

In February, Mark, Maya, and I continued our Colombian overland explorations in Thirsty Bella, our truck camper disguised as a cow. It was a good month for us. We finally reached our goal of spending less than US$800. Of course, it helped that there were only 28 days. It’s safe to say that this is probably a one off!

Drinks and lunch out with friends in El Retiro

Having dinner with our Guatape hosts Jake and Monica

The grocery and dining out categories have to be seen in conjunction with each other. When we don’t cook, we order food. Because life is much more affordable in Colombia than in western countries, we splurge a bit more on eating out. Usually for dinner; once in a while for lunch. Yet, we still try to keep things under control and did pretty well with the alcohol budget.

Cooking dinner on our grill

Dinner on the grill

Fresh produce in Guatape; total cost: $4

A chunk of money went to fuel, which is also quite cheap here, at US$2/gallon (don’t ask us why the prices are per gallon when everything else is part of the metric system). I guess we covered some miles in February. A negative about doing all this mountain driving is that Thirsty only gets about 8.5 miles to the gallon. Compare that with our (still poor) average of 10.5 miles in the US and it gives you an indication about the road conditions in Colombia. They aren’t pretty! And, they are the reason for our new rule of “four eyes on the road at all times!” Yes, after hours, this gets exhausting.

Typical dirt road

Busy on the backroads

Some of the roads are tricky and tight

Some paved roads have toll booths. But don’t assume that these routes are a breeze! If anything, one has to pay even more attention than on the slow gravel and dirt roads, as sunken road surfaces, potholes, and cracked pavement creep up fast to the unsuspecting eye. And, you get the privilege of paying for those surprises. While $3 for a stretch of semi-decent road might not seem like a lot, for Colombian living standards it is, and after a few a day the amount adds up.

Yes, this is a toll road – don’t drive too fast!

The other side of a toll road

Oncoming traffic

Parking, on the other hand, is cheap at an average of less than a dollar an hour, for a guarded lot in town. After three or four hours, it makes more sense to pay the daily rate. We took just our truck into Medellin once to run errands and go on a guided walking tour. The lots were overflowing, but we pulled into one anyway, being on a deadline. That’s when we discovered you leave the key with the attendants and they will move cars around as they see fit, or as people need to depart. Since the back of our cab had heaps of gear in it (part of the back seat acts as storage), we were a tad worried about handing over our key, but these are professionally-run parking lots, so we needn’t have stressed.

Leaving the parking lot with Thirsty

Parked by the Home Center in Medellin to buy supplies

Let’s talk about Maya. The good news is that we can find her exact (high-quality) dogfood in Colombia. The bad news is that it costs twice as much as in the US. This is probably the only thing so far that has been more expensive here than in the States. We’ll take it…

Maya found her food in a Home Canter in Medellin

Treating Maya’s injured toe

Maya’s paw has to be wrapped for weeks, in order to protect her injured toe.

Taking escalators on our Medellin tour – is this where Maya’s toe got injured?

When we were in Medellin, our girl lost a toe nail. We don’t know how exactly it happened, but this is a painful injury, as the “quick” underneath became exposed. It’s like an open wound. From the moment we arrived home, we disinfected it and kept it wrapped up. Worried about an infection, we involved a vet and received some remedies. But the main healer is time. So, no more decent walks for a while! After three weeks now, we can finally see progress, but her toe is long not recovered. As you can see in the report underneath, vets are not expensive here.

Parked for one night on the town square of Florian

Moved slightly out of the town center of Florian for a few nights – a quieter experience

Free overnight parking at a restaurant in Marinilla, after eating dinner there

Free camping next to a cemetery in Rionegro- finally peace and quiet!

Camped for a handful of nights in El Retiro

Boondocked on a sandspit/gravel pit in Guatape

Parked in Medellin for a couple of nights

Mark and I are still trying to camp for free as much as possible. Because we don’t need services, this is an area where we can save money, as long as our spots are safe. That being said, we needed to do repairs on our camper in February, so stayed about a week in an established campground, where we could take the camper off and fix our issues. We also paid for one night at the Rio Claro.

Camped for one night at Rio Claro

Al Bosque campground in Santa Elena, an hour from Medellin, was home for almost a week.

In Guatapé, we were invited to camp for free for a few days on the amazing property of ex-overlanders, which was a very nice and welcome gesture.

Parked for a few nights on the driveway of a beautiful property in Guatape

Nice detail in the yard

Relaxing on the dock of our Guatape hosts

Maya also has a new friend, Mona

Boat ride on the Embalse (reservoir) of Guatape

In February, we also spent money on fun activities! The entrance fee for the waterfall pool in Florian, which was located on private property, cost about $1 a person, Mark and I joined two “free” walking tours in Medellin, for which we donated the equivalent of $20, we tipped musicians and a dance group, and we climbed the tall rock, El Peñol, in Guatape for $4 each. That gives you an idea about entertainment costs in Colombia.

View of the waterfall pool

Pool at the bottom of the weak waterfall

Our professional, smart, and funny guide German of Real City Tours in Medellin

Group photo Medellin Real City Walking Tour

Piedra del Penol, the rock

View of the Guatape Reservoir

Climbing the 675 steps of the rock

On the way back down El Penol

Comuna 13 tour with guide George of Zippy Tours

Dance group on our Comuna 13 tour

Because there was no payment for Google Fi anymore (our account was suspended), internet was very affordable last month. We buy 80GB (currently doubled for no extra cost, an amount we can’t even use up if we wanted to) monthly data plans for about $20 each. This is similar to “unlimited” internet use. We didn’t pay for other utilities as we managed to fill up with water for free (or at the campground), our propane tank is still quite full, and garbage service appeared at our door. ????

Time to do some work on Bella

Fixing structural damage underneath the camper

Installing heavy-duty screws to keep the wood panels together

Taking our new fridge out for the tenth time in order to fix its problem

Running a new propane hose

Buying a piece of teak wood

We managed to fix several camper problems without breaking the bank, had to use public transportation in Medellin the second time we visited, needed household items (matching forks, something that Mark had been craving for a while, and a different basket that won’t flip its contents when we hit a pothole or tope), barely drank out, and only paid for one load of laundry (washing). These last savings are thanks to our friends Susan and John, who blog at Latitude Adjustment and also have a series of interesting posts about Colombia. They generously let us borrow their home’s facilities in El Retiro. I washed three loads of clothes and took over their hanging racks – and second floor – for three days in a row! ¡Gracias amigos!

Comfy Maya in Susan and John’s home

Meeting up with Susan and John in El Retiro

Garbage service on “our street”

Pick-up at home… 🙂

Taking the metro to Comuna 13

February 2023 Overview:

Groceries:

Car (fuel: $157; tolls: $20; parking: $4):

Dining out:

Dog (food: $79; vet:$15; supplies: $4);

Camping:

Alcohol:

Entertainment (falls, tours, the rock):

Utilities (Claro internet):

Camper (repairs):

Transportation (taxi, metro, bus):

Household:

Drinking out:

Laundry:

TOTAL:

$185

$181

$124

$98

$61

$35

$32

$21

$13

$13

$10

$5

$4

———

$ 782

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast.

In January, Mark, Maya, and I continued our Colombian overland explorations in Thirsty Bella, our truck camper disguised as a cow. As expected, we are spreading joy and smiles driving through villages and the countryside. And we are getting stuck in narrow town centers and battered by country roads a lot, too.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Driving through narrow Barichara

Driving through the mountains on small roads

Crossing a river in the mountains

One of the many narrow and rocky dirt roads we traversed in January

Bumpy road surface

Our grocery amount was decent and similar to the previous month. We are eating out regularly now, which might explain a drop in grocery costs and a jump in eating out. Life is much cheaper in Colombia than in the US, allowing us to splurge more.  A decent dinner costs around $5-$8 a meal. It’s possible to eat cheaper and more expensive. Grocery shopping is affordable.

Lunch at a Belgian-run restaurant with Sheri and Jeff in Guane

Lunch out in Guane

Dinner out in Barichara

Small grocery store in Gambita

Crepe with fresh fruit and whipped cream

Saturday produce market in Villa de Leyva

Milhoja dessert at a bakery in Villa de Leyva

Splurge from a French bakery in Villa de Leyva

Fresh fruit and vegetables are easy to come by in Colombia!

While in the US and Canada we always camped for free, mostly in nature. Once we arrived in South America, it’s been a mix of boondocking in or on the edge of towns or along roads and paid campgrounds. That’s what the accommodation cost of almost $100 is attributed to.

Camped (for free) along the beautiful trail to Las Gachas

Parked for the night along the square in Gambita

Camped along the dirt road between Gambita and Palermo

Boondocked (free) along the lake in Paipa

Lago Sochacota in Paipa

Parked for the night (free) along the square of Tibasosa, the feijoa capital of the world

Maya poses in front of the town’s sign

Camped for a few nights (free) at higher elevation next to Laguna de Tota

Lake view through our window

Laguna de Tota

Another night of parking at the edge of a town, Mongui this time

On average, campsites cost $4 a person per day. Don’t expect hookups for that. We merely pay for a flat place to park in a safe environment. Sometimes, there are amenities like showers, toilets, and trash cans. Once in a while, a common space like a kitchen, firepit, or lounge and laundry facilities are available. Secure overnight parking in a lot is cheaper at around $2 a night.

Camped with our friends at an official campground in Barichara for a week over New Year

Sunset in the mountains

Communal kitchen at our campground in Barichara

Outdoor showers at Camping Guaimaro in Barichara

A paid camping spot in someone’s (overgrown) yard in Villanueva

Parked for the night at the hot springs. We did have to pay extra for that.

One (paid) night at a parking lot in Raquira

Our cost for internet was high last month. We paid $50 for our Google Fi plan, which allowed international roaming. Warned that this option was going to be suspended in February, we finally registered our phones in Colombia (mandatory by law) and bought local Claro SIM cards and data plans. The good news: internet is cheap in this country; the equivalent of $20 for 80GB of data (valid for one month). Propane is affordable and we use much less with our electric fridge. Most of the potable water we obtained (up to 48 gallons) was free.

Getting our phones registered in Duitama required fingerprints instead of signatures.

Getting our propane tank topped up. It was still half full after one month

Little chapel out of a propane tank

Filling up with potable cistern water at a gas station

Filling our tanks with potable water from the convent in Villa de Leyva

In February, we planned a visit to our friends Susan and John in El Retiro, near Medellin. They blog about their worldwide travels and Colombian expat life on Latitude Adjustment. This provided us with a shipping address – yes, Amazon ships certain items to Colombia! – so we ordered a few camper necessities, like a waterproof tarp, new propane hose, fridge thermostat, and water filters. Our alcohol expense was decent.

Last month, we also managed to apply for – and receive – visa extensions. If I would have entered the country with my Belgian passport, this would have been free for me. But I boasted my US citizenship when arriving, so I had to pay the same amount as Mark, around $23. Totally worth being able to spend another three months in Colombia, of course! Recently, we managed to get the same extension for Thirsty Bella from Customs (free). All of us can now legally stay in the country until May 8^th.

In Villa de Leyva, while driving to a water spigot to top off our tanks, we passed through a narrow road, of which there are many in Colombia. It was a route we’d taken before, except, this time, a car was parked a distance from the curb. Instead of jumping out of the passenger seat like I usually do, I estimated we’d clear everything. When Mark rounded the parked car, we could hear roof tiles clatter onto the cobblestones. Darn…

We hit this overhang from a gate in Villa de Leyva

Pile of broken roof tiles on the ground

Our ladder had hit the decorative, overhanging tiles topping a cute gate. Luckily, the owners were relaxed about the scene and no harm was done to our camper. We gladly reimbursed the lady for eight broken tiles and the labor to fix the gate. Being in Colombia, paying for the damage didn’t set us back too much! That was the miscellaneous category.

Hiking in the mountains around Barichara

Hiking with our friends towards Guane

Hiking near Villanueva

The natural site of Las Gachas is free to visit, depending on which walking route you take.

Little known and free waterfall in Palermo

Maya meets a baby cow

Plaza Mayor in pretty Villa de Leyva

Strolling in the colorful town of Raquira

The colonial church and town square of Mongui

Maya in front of a historic bridge in Mongui

Besides hiking and exploring some natural sites and historic centers for free, we “splurged” on entertainment last month, visiting an interesting fossil museum in Villa de Leyva (El Fosil), hot springs in Iza (Piscina Erika), and a gorgeous waterfall near Gambita. Each destination was worth a stop or a strenuous hike!

The impressive top part of the waterfalls

Along the trail to the top of the waterfall

Piscina Erika hot springs

El Fosil museum

Depiction of the Monquirasaurus

El Fosil, a Kronosaurus that was renamed Monquirasaurus

The other categories were on the low end. Early January, I did laundry at a campground – three loads in three days, hanging everything to dry outside. The rest of the month, we washed by hand.

Camped for free on the edge of
Villa de Leyva and doing laundry by hand – the town offers free water

We took taxis a couple of times in skinny Barichara (“transportation”), I needed aspirin and more acetaminophen for my headaches, Maya could use more treats, we bought a gift for friends, and I finally received a professional haircut. The hairdresser took pride in her work and finished with 10 minutes of hair blowing. This unnecessary touch-up cost an extra 5,000 pesos ($1), totaling $6 for the entire experience. Oh, and Mark drank one beer out as well. At these prices, it is easy, fun, and possible for us to support local businesses!

Tuk tuk taxi in Barichara

Fresh haircut in Villa de Leyva!

We didn’t quite make it under $900, but we keep trying. Luckily, February only has 28 days. Our goal is to spend less than $800 a month in South America. We still have a way to go. Colombia is probably the cheapest country of the continent, so if we fail here, we might have to alter that target.

January 2023 Overview:

Groceries:

Dining out:

Accommodation:

Car (fuel: $89; tolls: $8; parking: $1):

Utilities (internet: $77; propane: $5; water:$1):

Camper (tarp, filters, hose, thermostat):

Alcohol:

Customs & Immigration (visa extensions):

Miscellaneous (broken tiles):

Entertainment (museum, falls, hot springs):

Laundry:

Transportation (taxis):

Medical (drugs):

Health & Fitness (haircut L):

Dog (treats):

Gifts:

Household:

Drinking out:

TOTAL:

$251

$128

$99

$98

$83

$79

$49

$45

$21

$18

$9

$8

$7

$6

$5

$5

$3

$1

———

$ 915

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast.

The first two weeks of December, Mark, Maya, and I still stayed in Airbnbs in Cartagena, like the majority of November, to wait for our camper’s arrival from Texas. This was followed by a night in a hotel close to the port where we picked up our truck camper, Thirsty Bella, on the evening of the 14th. Rule #1 in developing countries, “Do not drive at night,” was immediately disregarded. We didn’t have a choice. Luckily, nothing was hit or damaged on that first drive.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in the galleries to read their captions.)

Our second-floor Airbnb in Las Caracoles, Cartagena

The entrance to our third-floor Airbnb in Boca Grande, Cartagena.

We loved our early morning strolls along the boardwalk with Maya in Boca Grande.

Our campers have arrived from the port!

The campers have arrived – daytime now

Our last night in the Cartagena area

We paid for all these nights with credit card points, depleting our account, leaving us with no buffer for a break from the road in the future. All because we had to wait two extra weeks for our vehicle. Oh well. We were beyond happy and relieved to be reunited with our home on wheels.

First night back on the road in San Pedro – a hot and humid place

Arriving at our first destination, Mompox, where we also searched for a hotel with parking big enough for Thirsty Bella; not an easy feat.

Dinner out in Mompox

Two of these pizzas did the job for dinner in Mompox.

It was tricky backing out of this parking spot in Mompox. Towns are just too tight for us, for driving and for parking.

After spending the first night on a hot and humid parking lot, we put in many more miles to reach Mompox, a World Heritage Site, for another night at a hotel. It was too uncomfortable to sleep in the camper. The other accommodation expenses went to campsites without hookups (just parking, sometimes with the availability of showers, toilets, a shared kitchen, and a laundry machine), which seem to range between $2 and $4 a person per night. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but $8 a night does add up for us, so we try to combine free camping andcampgrounds.

Camped in the cute town of Playa de Belen. Fireworks chased us out.

Parked for a couple of nights at the soccer field of Playa de Belen to get the camper back in order. The fireworks were still bad here.

Parked in Gramalote Viejo with our friends for what was supposed to be the Christmas period

Camping spot along Chicamocha Canyon

Parked for the night at a mirador (viewpoint) – free, but one of the loudest nights we’ve encountered in Colombia

Camping spot for one night at the balneario (swimming area) of Curiti – we couldn’t leave if we wanted to…

December was the first decent expense month since Mexico in February. We stayed under $1,000 for the three of us. The highest categories, “groceries” and “car,” were close, but not that crazy.

The Olimpica is a decent grocery store.

A big bag of red onions for the equivalent of $1

Cooking in the apartment with a headlight on. The lighting in most Airbnbs we stayed at was terrible.

One of our homecooked meals in Cartagena

Once, we cooked a dinner in the Boca Grande apartment of our friends Sheri and Jeff.

Sheri made fantastic hamburgers one night

A lot of the food in Colombia is fried

What we saved in groceries, we spent in eating out, by the looks of it. Again, this pastime in Colombia is affordable, but $8 dinners also add up after a while. Another balancing act is needed.

Buying bananas from a street vendor in Cartagena

We found this amazing panaderia (bakery) in a Cartagena neighborhood where we stayed for ten days.

Local restaurant at 10,000ft altitude

Because of the cold climate at 10,000ft, we all ordered a bowl of soup for $1 each.

A wonderful lunch in Cepita, at the bottom of Chicamocha Canyon

We did cover a bit of ground in those first two weeks on the road, but with gasoline at $2 a gallon, we don’t worry too much. The $40 insurance (SOAT) cost covers our vehicle for liability for three months. Our cost for tolls was actually higher than stated – amazing how many toll roads (Northern) Colombia has, and they’re expensive all things considered – but we received a refund for our toll device and credit we returned to Massachusetts before leaving the country.

Filling her up!

Maya has her backseat back.

On the road again – Chicamocha Canyon

A typical scene on the road

Toll booth in Santander – these cost around $2 each time for cars with 2 axels

The gift category should fall away next month. As usual, I created and shipped calendars to my family in Belgium and the US. Each month of the year exhibits a photo of the two or three of us in a different location. This way, we are somewhat present in the households of our loved ones. And we bought small Christmas gifts for our new friends Sheri and Jeff, whom we met up with several times over the last two months.

Parked for the night by the police station in Gramalote Nuevo

Not what we had in mind for Christmas Eve

Our night parked by the police station was the result of an attempted armed robbery in Gramalote Viejo

Special breakfast on Christmas Day, once we were safely settled at an official campground

Camped safely on Christmas Day

Christmas dinner at the campground

Propane is cheaper in Colombia than in the States, but it is a pain to obtain nevertheless. That’s why we changed our propane fridge out for an electric one that efficiently works on our solar panels. This way, a full propane tank (20 pounds), used only for cooking and heating, should last months instead of weeks. For internet, we still use a Google Fi global data plan, but we already have been warned this will be suspended next month, so we will need to find another, local solution in each country. We’ve been working on that.

I’d say our alcohol consumption was average last month, despite it being the holidays. Beer and rum are cheaper than what we purchase in the US, wine is similar in price. The only reason there is a clothing expense is because Amazon messed up one of the refunds before we left. Therefore, we were recharged for a pair of jeans.

We didn’t plan on buying dog food for Maya in Cartagena, since we carried plenty of it with us on the plane, enough for the expected three weeks there, plus an extra Ziploc bag in case four weeks of waiting were required. Not five, though. Luckily, we found food that she wasn’t allergic to and once Thirsty Bella arrived, carrying heaps of dogfood, Maya could go back on her usual diet. The meds we bought are herbal drops that should calm her down during all the stress and anxiety from Colombia’s daily firecrackers, bottle rockets, and fireworks.

Our drinking out cost is negligible – we usually prefer to have happy hour at home – and the low entertainment amount went to the entrance fee of Los Estoraques National Park in Playa de Belen, where we camped for almost a week as well.

Camped by the national park

Hiking in the national park

Maya in the national park

Los Estoraques National Park in Playa de Belen

Los Estoraques NP

The park has amazing rock formations.

Last month, we managed to only pay $2 for water, a donation to a friendly and helpful family along the way, and do laundry for free at the Airbnbs we stayed at.

Filling our tank with potable water from a private home, three days into our trip.

More generous Colombians offering potable water for our tanks

Our last two apartments had their own washing machine. Nice!

The total amount for shipping our truck camper from Texas to Colombia was $5,500, which is not included in this report as it is a one-time cost. Because moving our vehicle between continents was so expensive, we plan on making our time here worthwhile. A few years of slow travel should do it! 🙂

December 2022 Overview:

Groceries:

Car (fuel: $194; insurance: $40; tolls: $14):

Gifts (Christmas & New Year):

Dining out:

Utilities (internet: $50; propane: $9; water:$2):

Alcohol:

Accommodation:

Clothing:

Dog (food: $20; meds:$3):

Drinking out:

Entertainment:

TOTAL:

$249

$248

$125

$99

$61

$47

$44

$31

$23

$6

$4

———

$ 937