What we spent: May 2018

After moving around so frequently and going over budget in April, we were relieved to slow down in May. Eager to unpack our bags, do laundry, stock the fridge, and not have to catch a 10+ hour bus anytime soon, we rented an apartment in Medellín for five weeks. But before heading inland, we made a few stops along the Caribbean coast. We spent a few nights at a gorgeous eco-hostel in the tiny mountainous town of Minca. We also stayed just outside of Santa Marta in Taganga for a few days to complete our advanced open water dive certification. By slowing down our travel, we had no problem sticking to our budget of $1,000 USD for two people. This month, what helped us keep our spending in check was:

renting an apartment in Medellín for several weeks
cooking a lot of meals at home with ingredients from the grocery store and market
limiting our long-distance transportation to only a couple of places

Total monthly budget (for two people): $1,000 USD

Total daily budget: $32.26 USD

What we spent: $987.93 USD

Average daily cost: $31.87 USD

Days on budget: 9

Days over budget: 6

Days under budget: 16

Accommodation

Total spent: $404.09

Percent of monthly spending: 30.5%

We stayed at Casa Loma in Minca and loved it. Located in the mountains with breathtaking sunset views, this eco-hostel with no wifi but incredible vegetarian food was one of our favorite hostels. We camped to save money and put our tent to use, but they also offer hammocks, dorm beds, and private huts. We stayed at a hostel in Taganga that was centrally located and just a short walk from the dive shop. For Medellín, we rented an apartment through Airbnb for five weeks (May-June). Not only did we enjoy the privacy, fully-equipped kitchen, and comfy common space, but it's hard to beat the large discount for stays of more than 28 nights.

If you're traveling as a couple or with a group of people, it usually makes more sense to find a place through Airbnb, especially if you'll be there for more than just a few nights. Never tried it before? Use this code to get $40 USD off your first trip!

Dining

Total spent: $98.20

Percent of monthly spending: 10.5%

To our great disappointment, Colombian food has generally left us a little underwhelmed. That isn't to say there isn't great food, it's just that you really have to do some searching. We've also found dining out to be quite a bit more expensive here than other places we've been on this trip, further deterring us from eating out all the time. Since we were craving international dishes we haven't had since leaving home, we did treat ourselves to some mouthwatering kebabs, French pastries, and spicy Korean fried chicken in Medellín.

Groceries

Total spent: $187.69

Percent of monthly spending: 13.5%

Between buying fresh fruit from street vendors and staples at the big supermarket next to our apartment, we made good use of our fully-equipped kitchen in our Medellín apartment.

Alcohol

Total spent: $44.02

Percent of monthly spending: 1.1%

We found the best alcohol deals to be the 750 ml bottles of Águila (beer) and the wine at Éxito, which costs just over $3 USD a bottle.

Sweet treats

Total spent: $19.60

Percent of monthly spending: 0.4%

We found some of the best chocolate croissants we've ever had in Medellín, and treated ourselves to quite a few ice cream cones while walking around.

Health & hygiene

Total spent: $29.83

Percent of monthly spending: 0.2%

Rebecca needed a long-overdue hair cut since leaving the US and found a great salon in Poblado.

Long-distance travel

Total spent: $115.85

Percent of monthly spending: 29%

Most of this was an overnight bus ride from Santa Marta to Medellín.

Local transportation

Total spent: $32.44

Percent of monthly spending: 1.8%

If traveling solo, the Medellín metro is reasonably priced at COP$2,400 ($0.90 USD) a ride, but if you're traveling as a couple or in a group, it's often easier and just as economical to use Uber.

Activities

Total spent: $48.85

Percent of monthly spending: 11.4%

There are plenty of cheap things to see and do in Medellín that can be done independently. Some of the more expensive activities we did included Parque Explora, the planetarium, and a trip to Parque Arví.