If you are planning a trip to Argentina, you should know that it is necessary to adjust your budget depending on where you want to go. The economy of our country has been suffering for several years, punishing us with high inflation and varied prices, sometimes more expensive than in European countries. But despite everything, if you are organized enough, it is still possible to travel at a low cost, carefully choosing your destination and looking for the cheapest options possible. I always knew that traveling in the north of my country is cheaper than in other areas, mainly the south part, but I was still surprised when I was able to see it with my own eyes .
During the month of July 2024, I had been traveling through the south of Argentina on a shared tour in a motorhome. On that occasion, we reached Bariloche, where we had the option of sleeping in a hostel if we wanted to be more comfortable. At that time, the cost of the cheapest hostel in the area was $18. Some of my travel companions chose to do so, but I preferred to stay and sleep in the motorhome as usual, since by that date I had spent more than $500 in just two weeks of travel .
After that, my nomadic travel path started to head north of my country. First, I made a stop on a trip at a hostel in Córdoba where I paid $15 a night, and then I went to do my volunteer work further north in Catamarca, where guests were charged $13 for the cheapest room. My third stop of the trip had been in Cafayate, where a night in a hostel cost $10. All these prices always referred to shared rooms with 6 or 8 beds, with a clear pattern of "further north on the map, cheaper."
When I met my guest M in Cafayate and after some "unfortunate" (or not) events, we started traveling together, we had to start looking for double rooms whenever possible. At our stop in a hostel in Salta capital we paid $24 for a room for the two of us, in Tilcara $20 for the same type of room and in Humahuaca $15 for a complete apartment. These prices really surprised me, because I didn't think it could be so cheap. I was happy to be able to save on accommodation and be able to spend it on other things like excursions or new trips .
By the time we got to Iruya in the province of Salta, I thought prices would go up a bit due to the remoteness and touristiness of the place. But luckily for us, this wasn't the case. Here we found double rooms for $14, which I couldn't believe. However, since the weather was spectacular, we decided it would be a good idea to camp and experience it. We had first thought of camping in the wild, but then we asked at a campsite and they only charged $4 per person. $4! And we could use wifi, a grill, bathrooms and showers with hot water, much better than being in the middle of nowhere .
Another very cheap thing to find in the north of Argentina, besides accommodation, is food. Unlike in the south, food in the north is very cheap and you can find a lot of variety, from full meals to fast food. The day after our camp we got up early to go to our next destination and decided to buy something for lunch. We didn't want to spend too much time on this, so we opted for the classic tortillas filled with ham and cheese in the north. One was enough for a light lunch for both of us and we only paid $2 for it. It couldn't be more convenient :)
Finding these prices in the north of my country was very good for my travel budget, since I had recently stopped paying for my stays with work exchanges and now had to do it with money, I couldn't afford great luxuries. Even in this, the timing of this trip was perfect, because this improvised trip took place on the way to Bolivia, where everything is much cheaper. I think that this place combines two ideal things for low-cost trips: beautiful landscapes and many cheap options suitable for your pocket. At the end of the day, with little investment you will have obtained a great benefit .
❤️ Hope you liked this post! Thanks for reading. ❤️
