A breakdown of my Camino Frances costs with a few considerations - May 2023

[ils]

I often see people asking about the daily average costs of the Camino and this was also something I was worried about before going, especially because in my day-to-day life I'm very conscious about how I spend my money (irresponsibly conscious, as in I spend way too much with things I don't need, but at least I know where my money is going).

I use an expense tracker and budget usually and thought about doing the same for the Camino. The first few days went great, I was tracking everything even the damn coins, but by the second week, I honestly didn't care anymore as long as I was vaguely aware I still had money in the pre-paid card I had with me. But now I am home and could export all the expenses from my bank and import them into my budget software, so here we have it!

It's not perfect, mainly because of cash. I had to withdraw cash twice and I can't honestly remember where I spent everything, but I had an overall idea, so the cash part (476 euros in total) is an approximation.

Anyway, I did the Camino Frances from SJPP to Santiago, from April 29th to May 30th. I'm not considering here the flight tickets or the train ticket to SJPP, but I am considering the day I was in Santiago just enjoying the city (May 31st). In total, I spent 2046,61 euros for 32 days, so around 64 euros per day. I could have spent way less, but I did enjoy my many nights in private rooms with private bathrooms.

This was my overall spending:


And now a breakdown:

Rooms:


- I stayed in a mix of private bedrooms, private albergues and public ones. After walking the first few days without a bed, I realized I needed the peace of mind of just walking without rushing and trying to win the bed race. So I only stayed in public albergues when it was a short day or when I knew it was a big one with many beds. Every 3 or 4 nights I would stay in a private bedroom.
- In total, there were 5 nights in public albergues (54 euros), 10 nights in private rooms, including 2 nights in Santiago (564 euros), and 14 in private albergues (310 euros)
- Not here: 3 nights in Airbnbs, 2 in León and 1 in Burgos. Not here because they were charged in brazilian reais on a different card, but it was around 160 euros for the three nights.

Food:

- Restaurants is a mix of lunch, dinner, snacks and breakfast. I almost never had lunch and dinner on the same day, it was usually one or the other, and around 15-22 euros for a menu del dia or menu peregrino. The cheapest I paid for a menu del dia was 12 and the most expensive was 22. For breakfast, I would usually walk 5-8km and stop for a coffee and tortilla or tostada, for which I paid anywhere from 2,50 to 5 euros per day. Also, I would have a caña (beer) or two in the afternoons, which were around 1,50 - 2 euros per glass.
- Grocery includes anything I bought in supermarkets, from chocolates (essential for the camino!!!) to instant noodles.

Extras:

Transportation:
- I took a bus twice, due to a mix of injury and time constraints: from Santo Domingo to Burgos and from Bercianos del Real Camino to Leon, both were around 5 euros
- I had to take a taxi from Zubiri to Pamplona (15 euros) because there were no beds available.
- I bought tickets for the bus to León for two of my Camino friends so here you can actually subtract 10 euros.
Equipment:
- Everything I paid for in the Oficina del Peregrino both in SJPP and in Santiago
- My hiking poles on Decathlon
- A pair of gloves somewhere in the mesetas, because it was way too cold in the early mornings and wearing socks as gloves was not fun
- Orange sim card
Pharmacy:
- Compeeds, ibuprofen, earplugs, a new shampoo bar
Tours
- Mostly museums and churches
Luggage Transport:
- 3 times I sent my backpack ahead when I had long days
- I sent my suitcase to Santiago with PaqPeregrino before I started my Camino
Gifts:
- 103 euros for a Polarstep photobook, which was a gift to myself to remember the trip
- The rest was a mix of magnets, pins, and small tokens from the Camino and Tarta de Santiago to bring home


So this is it. Everything I spent in my Camino. I know a post like this would have been useful to me a few months ago, so it may be useful for someone else now.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Thank you for all the work compiling this.

I did keep track of my expenses on 2 Caminos. When planning the second, I looked at inflation / increases in prices that mattered for my Camino and estimated/extrapolated my expected costs for Camino 2 from Camino 1.
However, in the end it got much more expensive than my estimate. Digging deeper what had happened it was clear to see how large the influence of temporary personal mood may be: The second time I was simply allowing myself more special treats when it came to food and accommodation and this simply added up

 

[Former member 108241]

This is very useful info for those of us planning and budgeting, thank you for taking the time to put it together.

 

[mauro campagnoli]

Parabéns amigo. Muito detalhado e ótima referencia. Custos bastante diferentes de meu Camino em 2018. Começo outro Camino em 10 de Agosto desde SJPP.

 

[DocJeff]

I often see people asking about the daily average costs of the Camino and this was also something I was worried about before going, especially because in my day-to-day life I'm very conscious about how I spend my money (irresponsibly conscious, as in I spend way too much with things I don't need, but at least I know where my money is going).

I use an expense tracker and budget usually and thought about doing the same for the Camino. The first few days went great, I was tracking everything even the damn coins, but by the second week, I honestly didn't care anymore as long as I was vaguely aware I still had money in the pre-paid card I had with me. But now I am home and could export all the expenses from my bank and import them into my budget software, so here we have it!

It's not perfect, mainly because of cash. I had to withdraw cash twice and I can't honestly remember where I spent everything, but I had an overall idea, so the cash part (476 euros in total) is an approximation.

Anyway, I did the Camino Frances from SJPP to Santiago, from April 29th to May 30th. I'm not considering here the flight tickets or the train ticket to SJPP, but I am considering the day I was in Santiago just enjoying the city (May 31st). In total, I spent 2046,61 euros for 32 days, so around 64 euros per day. I could have spent way less, but I did enjoy my many nights in private rooms with private bathrooms.

This was my overall spending:
View attachment 148630

And now a breakdown:

Rooms:
View attachment 148631

- I stayed in a mix of private bedrooms, private albergues and public ones. After walking the first few days without a bed, I realized I needed the peace of mind of just walking without rushing and trying to win the bed race. So I only stayed in public albergues when it was a short day or when I knew it was a big one with many beds. Every 3 or 4 nights I would stay in a private bedroom.
- In total, there were 5 nights in public albergues (54 euros), 10 nights in private rooms, including 2 nights in Santiago (564 euros), and 14 in private albergues (310 euros)
- Not here: 3 nights in Airbnbs, 2 in León and 1 in Burgos. Not here because they were charged in brazilian reais on a different card, but it was around 160 euros for the three nights.

Food:
View attachment 148632
- Restaurants is a mix of lunch, dinner, snacks and breakfast. I almost never had lunch and dinner on the same day, it was usually one or the other, and around 15-22 euros for a menu del dia or menu peregrino. The cheapest I paid for a menu del dia was 12 and the most expensive was 22. For breakfast, I would usually walk 5-8km and stop for a coffee and tortilla or tostada, for which I paid anywhere from 2,50 to 5 euros per day. Also, I would have a caña (beer) or two in the afternoons, which were around 1,50 - 2 euros per glass.
- Grocery includes anything I bought in supermarkets, from chocolates (essential for the camino!!!) to instant noodles.

Extras:
View attachment 148634
Transportation:
- I took a bus twice, due to a mix of injury and time constraints: from Santo Domingo to Burgos and from Bercianos del Real Camino to Leon, both were around 5 euros
- I had to take a taxi from Zubiri to Pamplona (15 euros) because there were no beds available.
- I bought tickets for the bus to León for two of my Camino friends so here you can actually subtract 10 euros.
Equipment:
- Everything I paid for in the Oficina del Peregrino both in SJPP and in Santiago
- My hiking poles on Decathlon
- A pair of gloves somewhere in the mesetas, because it was way too cold in the early mornings and wearing socks as gloves was not fun
- Orange sim card
Pharmacy:
- Compeeds, ibuprofen, earplugs, a new shampoo bar
Tours
- Mostly museums and churches
Luggage Transport:
- 3 times I sent my backpack ahead when I had long days
- I sent my suitcase to Santiago with PaqPeregrino before I started my Camino
Gifts:
- 103 euros for a Polarstep photobook, which was a gift to myself to remember the trip
- The rest was a mix of magnets, pins, and small tokens from the Camino and Tarta de Santiago to bring home


So this is it. Everything I spent in my Camino. I know a post like this would have been useful to me a few months ago, so it may be useful for someone else now.

Thank you for all your work assembling this information. It will be very helpful to me for planning!

 

[lt56ny]

This is a great chart especially for people who do a mix of different things, where to eat, sleep etc. It also is a good starting point for those who ask the question how much will a camino cost, especially when they do not give more information about their tastes and how they want to walk. You could extrapolate alot from these charts.

 

[Jimmy Duggan]

That is a great breakdown of costs . Very handy information to share. Thank You

 

[jfc731]

This was most useful as I am just now planning my Camino and have wondered what the all in cost may be. Thank you very much.

 

[AnaRosario]

I often see people asking about the daily average costs of the Camino and this was also something I was worried about before going, especially because in my day-to-day life I'm very conscious about how I spend my money (irresponsibly conscious, as in I spend way too much with things I don't need, but at least I know where my money is going).

I use an expense tracker and budget usually and thought about doing the same for the Camino. The first few days went great, I was tracking everything even the damn coins, but by the second week, I honestly didn't care anymore as long as I was vaguely aware I still had money in the pre-paid card I had with me. But now I am home and could export all the expenses from my bank and import them into my budget software, so here we have it!

It's not perfect, mainly because of cash. I had to withdraw cash twice and I can't honestly remember where I spent everything, but I had an overall idea, so the cash part (476 euros in total) is an approximation.

Anyway, I did the Camino Frances from SJPP to Santiago, from April 29th to May 30th. I'm not considering here the flight tickets or the train ticket to SJPP, but I am considering the day I was in Santiago just enjoying the city (May 31st). In total, I spent 2046,61 euros for 32 days, so around 64 euros per day. I could have spent way less, but I did enjoy my many nights in private rooms with private bathrooms.

This was my overall spending:
View attachment 148630

And now a breakdown:

Rooms:
View attachment 148631

- I stayed in a mix of private bedrooms, private albergues and public ones. After walking the first few days without a bed, I realized I needed the peace of mind of just walking without rushing and trying to win the bed race. So I only stayed in public albergues when it was a short day or when I knew it was a big one with many beds. Every 3 or 4 nights I would stay in a private bedroom.
- In total, there were 5 nights in public albergues (54 euros), 10 nights in private rooms, including 2 nights in Santiago (564 euros), and 14 in private albergues (310 euros)
- Not here: 3 nights in Airbnbs, 2 in León and 1 in Burgos. Not here because they were charged in brazilian reais on a different card, but it was around 160 euros for the three nights.

Food:
View attachment 148632
- Restaurants is a mix of lunch, dinner, snacks and breakfast. I almost never had lunch and dinner on the same day, it was usually one or the other, and around 15-22 euros for a menu del dia or menu peregrino. The cheapest I paid for a menu del dia was 12 and the most expensive was 22. For breakfast, I would usually walk 5-8km and stop for a coffee and tortilla or tostada, for which I paid anywhere from 2,50 to 5 euros per day. Also, I would have a caña (beer) or two in the afternoons, which were around 1,50 - 2 euros per glass.
- Grocery includes anything I bought in supermarkets, from chocolates (essential for the camino!!!) to instant noodles.

Extras:
View attachment 148634
Transportation:
- I took a bus twice, due to a mix of injury and time constraints: from Santo Domingo to Burgos and from Bercianos del Real Camino to Leon, both were around 5 euros
- I had to take a taxi from Zubiri to Pamplona (15 euros) because there were no beds available.
- I bought tickets for the bus to León for two of my Camino friends so here you can actually subtract 10 euros.
Equipment:
- Everything I paid for in the Oficina del Peregrino both in SJPP and in Santiago
- My hiking poles on Decathlon
- A pair of gloves somewhere in the mesetas, because it was way too cold in the early mornings and wearing socks as gloves was not fun
- Orange sim card
Pharmacy:
- Compeeds, ibuprofen, earplugs, a new shampoo bar
Tours
- Mostly museums and churches
Luggage Transport:
- 3 times I sent my backpack ahead when I had long days
- I sent my suitcase to Santiago with PaqPeregrino before I started my Camino
Gifts:
- 103 euros for a Polarstep photobook, which was a gift to myself to remember the trip
- The rest was a mix of magnets, pins, and small tokens from the Camino and Tarta de Santiago to bring home


So this is it. Everything I spent in my Camino. I know a post like this would have been useful to me a few months ago, so it may be useful for someone else now.

Very good!! I like it, thank you

 

[Lindasc]

I often see people asking about the daily average costs of the Camino and this was also something I was worried about before going, especially because in my day-to-day life I'm very conscious about how I spend my money (irresponsibly conscious, as in I spend way too much with things I don't need, but at least I know where my money is going).

I use an expense tracker and budget usually and thought about doing the same for the Camino. The first few days went great, I was tracking everything even the damn coins, but by the second week, I honestly didn't care anymore as long as I was vaguely aware I still had money in the pre-paid card I had with me. But now I am home and could export all the expenses from my bank and import them into my budget software, so here we have it!

It's not perfect, mainly because of cash. I had to withdraw cash twice and I can't honestly remember where I spent everything, but I had an overall idea, so the cash part (476 euros in total) is an approximation.

Anyway, I did the Camino Frances from SJPP to Santiago, from April 29th to May 30th. I'm not considering here the flight tickets or the train ticket to SJPP, but I am considering the day I was in Santiago just enjoying the city (May 31st). In total, I spent 2046,61 euros for 32 days, so around 64 euros per day. I could have spent way less, but I did enjoy my many nights in private rooms with private bathrooms.

This was my overall spending:
View attachment 148630

And now a breakdown:

Rooms:
View attachment 148631

- I stayed in a mix of private bedrooms, private albergues and public ones. After walking the first few days without a bed, I realized I needed the peace of mind of just walking without rushing and trying to win the bed race. So I only stayed in public albergues when it was a short day or when I knew it was a big one with many beds. Every 3 or 4 nights I would stay in a private bedroom.
- In total, there were 5 nights in public albergues (54 euros), 10 nights in private rooms, including 2 nights in Santiago (564 euros), and 14 in private albergues (310 euros)
- Not here: 3 nights in Airbnbs, 2 in León and 1 in Burgos. Not here because they were charged in brazilian reais on a different card, but it was around 160 euros for the three nights.

Food:
View attachment 148632
- Restaurants is a mix of lunch, dinner, snacks and breakfast. I almost never had lunch and dinner on the same day, it was usually one or the other, and around 15-22 euros for a menu del dia or menu peregrino. The cheapest I paid for a menu del dia was 12 and the most expensive was 22. For breakfast, I would usually walk 5-8km and stop for a coffee and tortilla or tostada, for which I paid anywhere from 2,50 to 5 euros per day. Also, I would have a caña (beer) or two in the afternoons, which were around 1,50 - 2 euros per glass.
- Grocery includes anything I bought in supermarkets, from chocolates (essential for the camino!!!) to instant noodles.

Extras:
View attachment 148634
Transportation:
- I took a bus twice, due to a mix of injury and time constraints: from Santo Domingo to Burgos and from Bercianos del Real Camino to Leon, both were around 5 euros
- I had to take a taxi from Zubiri to Pamplona (15 euros) because there were no beds available.
- I bought tickets for the bus to León for two of my Camino friends so here you can actually subtract 10 euros.
Equipment:
- Everything I paid for in the Oficina del Peregrino both in SJPP and in Santiago
- My hiking poles on Decathlon
- A pair of gloves somewhere in the mesetas, because it was way too cold in the early mornings and wearing socks as gloves was not fun
- Orange sim card
Pharmacy:
- Compeeds, ibuprofen, earplugs, a new shampoo bar
Tours
- Mostly museums and churches
Luggage Transport:
- 3 times I sent my backpack ahead when I had long days
- I sent my suitcase to Santiago with PaqPeregrino before I started my Camino
Gifts:
- 103 euros for a Polarstep photobook, which was a gift to myself to remember the trip
- The rest was a mix of magnets, pins, and small tokens from the Camino and Tarta de Santiago to bring home


So this is it. Everything I spent in my Camino. I know a post like this would have been useful to me a few months ago, so it may be useful for someone else now.

Amazing!! Super considerate for those planning the Camino, wish I had this info prior to starting

 

[Jensjaunt]

I appreciate the sharing as I am in the midst of planning for a fall Camino - you mentioned two things I am curious about - first a prepaid card - did you get a prepaid credit card for convenience or security reasons? Did you have any difficulty making reservations with a temp prepaid card? Also you are the second person who has mentioned Polarsteps app- did you find it easy to use? Any advice on tips when using? Thanks! J

 

[ils]

I appreciate the sharing as I am in the midst of planning for a fall Camino - you mentioned two things I am curious about - first a prepaid card - did you get a prepaid credit card for convenience or security reasons? Did you have any difficulty making reservations with a temp prepaid card? Also you are the second person who has mentioned Polarsteps app- did you find it easy to use? Any advice on tips when using? Thanks! J

I got a pre-paid card because I’m Brazilian and that is the easiest way to do it for me. It’s a Wise card and the fees are cheaper than buying euros in cash or using debit/credit straight from my account. Wise is also multi currency, so I can have both euros and dollars (and several others) in the same card. It was also immediate when I needed to buy extra euros towards the end of my trip. Most towns and services accepted the card without any problems, except public albergues and a few supermarkets in small towns when it was less than 5 euros. Wise is a Visa card, so it’s pretty much accepted everywhere.

Polarsteps was great. I was afraid it will consume too much battery but it was no more than 4% per day, which was okay for me. Also, I got a pretty photo book in the end which was printed and delivered to my house. A bit expensive, as I mentioned in my post, but totally worth it because otherwise those pictures would just disappear in the midst of the thousands of pictures I have on my phone.

I totally recommend both.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Superb breakdown, really appreciated.

To add to your comment about the Wise card - I, too use one, even though I'm based here in Europe. Excellent way to help keep track of Camino expenses, used as both my main debit and 'credit card' ( it's prepaid). No issues whatsoever. I use it for all larger daily needs when possible (and reasonable - not just a coffee!) & online bookings - transport, inc. flights- accommodation etc. So far used in Spain, Norway and England. Three different currencies, one card, very reasonable fees. An extra layer of security, with my 'main' cards tucked securely in my money belt. And, should it be lost/ stolen, instantly blocked using the app on my phone. Plus you can ( if desired ) see your transactions, or top it up using self-same app. Either directly from your bank, 2-3 days, or using your credit card , practically instantly. You do of course need internet!
Oh, should you end up with fund's leftover, you can still use it in your home country - the conversion rates are pretty reasonable.
Or, of course, keep them for your next Camino!

 

[Former member 21738]

I often see people asking about the daily average costs of the Camino and this was also something I was worried about before going, especially because in my day-to-day life I'm very conscious about how I spend my money (irresponsibly conscious, as in I spend way too much with things I don't need, but at least I know where my money is going).

I use an expense tracker and budget usually and thought about doing the same for the Camino. The first few days went great, I was tracking everything even the damn coins, but by the second week, I honestly didn't care anymore as long as I was vaguely aware I still had money in the pre-paid card I had with me. But now I am home and could export all the expenses from my bank and import them into my budget software, so here we have it!

It's not perfect, mainly because of cash. I had to withdraw cash twice and I can't honestly remember where I spent everything, but I had an overall idea, so the cash part (476 euros in total) is an approximation.

Anyway, I did the Camino Frances from SJPP to Santiago, from April 29th to May 30th. I'm not considering here the flight tickets or the train ticket to SJPP, but I am considering the day I was in Santiago just enjoying the city (May 31st). In total, I spent 2046,61 euros for 32 days, so around 64 euros per day. I could have spent way less, but I did enjoy my many nights in private rooms with private bathrooms.

This was my overall spending:
View attachment 148630

And now a breakdown:

Rooms:
View attachment 148631

- I stayed in a mix of private bedrooms, private albergues and public ones. After walking the first few days without a bed, I realized I needed the peace of mind of just walking without rushing and trying to win the bed race. So I only stayed in public albergues when it was a short day or when I knew it was a big one with many beds. Every 3 or 4 nights I would stay in a private bedroom.
- In total, there were 5 nights in public albergues (54 euros), 10 nights in private rooms, including 2 nights in Santiago (564 euros), and 14 in private albergues (310 euros)
- Not here: 3 nights in Airbnbs, 2 in León and 1 in Burgos. Not here because they were charged in brazilian reais on a different card, but it was around 160 euros for the three nights.

Food:
View attachment 148632
- Restaurants is a mix of lunch, dinner, snacks and breakfast. I almost never had lunch and dinner on the same day, it was usually one or the other, and around 15-22 euros for a menu del dia or menu peregrino. The cheapest I paid for a menu del dia was 12 and the most expensive was 22. For breakfast, I would usually walk 5-8km and stop for a coffee and tortilla or tostada, for which I paid anywhere from 2,50 to 5 euros per day. Also, I would have a caña (beer) or two in the afternoons, which were around 1,50 - 2 euros per glass.
- Grocery includes anything I bought in supermarkets, from chocolates (essential for the camino!!!) to instant noodles.

Extras:
View attachment 148634
Transportation:
- I took a bus twice, due to a mix of injury and time constraints: from Santo Domingo to Burgos and from Bercianos del Real Camino to Leon, both were around 5 euros
- I had to take a taxi from Zubiri to Pamplona (15 euros) because there were no beds available.
- I bought tickets for the bus to León for two of my Camino friends so here you can actually subtract 10 euros.
Equipment:
- Everything I paid for in the Oficina del Peregrino both in SJPP and in Santiago
- My hiking poles on Decathlon
- A pair of gloves somewhere in the mesetas, because it was way too cold in the early mornings and wearing socks as gloves was not fun
- Orange sim card
Pharmacy:
- Compeeds, ibuprofen, earplugs, a new shampoo bar
Tours
- Mostly museums and churches
Luggage Transport:
- 3 times I sent my backpack ahead when I had long days
- I sent my suitcase to Santiago with PaqPeregrino before I started my Camino
Gifts:
- 103 euros for a Polarstep photobook, which was a gift to myself to remember the trip
- The rest was a mix of magnets, pins, and small tokens from the Camino and Tarta de Santiago to bring home


So this is it. Everything I spent in my Camino. I know a post like this would have been useful to me a few months ago, so it may be useful for someone else now.

Thank you so much for sharing your expenses/budget throughout your Camino last month. It definitely gives me a general idea of how much I’ll be spending for my very first Camino from SJPP in April 2024. Looking forward to a wonderful experience of a lifetime!

 

[joecollins]

Thank you so much for sharing your expenses/budget throughout your Camino last month. It definitely gives me a general idea of how much I’ll be spending for my very first Camino from SJPP in April 2024. Looking forward to a wonderful experience of a lifetime!

This is such a fantastic post for a soon-to-be new pilgrim like me!

 

[Karin Nilsson]

Many thanks! This was very useful for me.

 

[CinagliaJackie]

I often see people asking about the daily average costs of the Camino and this was also something I was worried about before going, especially because in my day-to-day life I'm very conscious about how I spend my money (irresponsibly conscious, as in I spend way too much with things I don't need, but at least I know where my money is going).

I use an expense tracker and budget usually and thought about doing the same for the Camino. The first few days went great, I was tracking everything even the damn coins, but by the second week, I honestly didn't care anymore as long as I was vaguely aware I still had money in the pre-paid card I had with me. But now I am home and could export all the expenses from my bank and import them into my budget software, so here we have it!

It's not perfect, mainly because of cash. I had to withdraw cash twice and I can't honestly remember where I spent everything, but I had an overall idea, so the cash part (476 euros in total) is an approximation.

Anyway, I did the Camino Frances from SJPP to Santiago, from April 29th to May 30th. I'm not considering here the flight tickets or the train ticket to SJPP, but I am considering the day I was in Santiago just enjoying the city (May 31st). In total, I spent 2046,61 euros for 32 days, so around 64 euros per day. I could have spent way less, but I did enjoy my many nights in private rooms with private bathrooms.

This was my overall spending:
View attachment 148630

And now a breakdown:

Rooms:
View attachment 148631

- I stayed in a mix of private bedrooms, private albergues and public ones. After walking the first few days without a bed, I realized I needed the peace of mind of just walking without rushing and trying to win the bed race. So I only stayed in public albergues when it was a short day or when I knew it was a big one with many beds. Every 3 or 4 nights I would stay in a private bedroom.
- In total, there were 5 nights in public albergues (54 euros), 10 nights in private rooms, including 2 nights in Santiago (564 euros), and 14 in private albergues (310 euros)
- Not here: 3 nights in Airbnbs, 2 in León and 1 in Burgos. Not here because they were charged in brazilian reais on a different card, but it was around 160 euros for the three nights.

Food:
View attachment 148632
- Restaurants is a mix of lunch, dinner, snacks and breakfast. I almost never had lunch and dinner on the same day, it was usually one or the other, and around 15-22 euros for a menu del dia or menu peregrino. The cheapest I paid for a menu del dia was 12 and the most expensive was 22. For breakfast, I would usually walk 5-8km and stop for a coffee and tortilla or tostada, for which I paid anywhere from 2,50 to 5 euros per day. Also, I would have a caña (beer) or two in the afternoons, which were around 1,50 - 2 euros per glass.
- Grocery includes anything I bought in supermarkets, from chocolates (essential for the camino!!!) to instant noodles.

Extras:
View attachment 148634
Transportation:
- I took a bus twice, due to a mix of injury and time constraints: from Santo Domingo to Burgos and from Bercianos del Real Camino to Leon, both were around 5 euros
- I had to take a taxi from Zubiri to Pamplona (15 euros) because there were no beds available.
- I bought tickets for the bus to León for two of my Camino friends so here you can actually subtract 10 euros.
Equipment:
- Everything I paid for in the Oficina del Peregrino both in SJPP and in Santiago
- My hiking poles on Decathlon
- A pair of gloves somewhere in the mesetas, because it was way too cold in the early mornings and wearing socks as gloves was not fun
- Orange sim card
Pharmacy:
- Compeeds, ibuprofen, earplugs, a new shampoo bar
Tours
- Mostly museums and churches
Luggage Transport:
- 3 times I sent my backpack ahead when I had long days
- I sent my suitcase to Santiago with PaqPeregrino before I started my Camino
Gifts:
- 103 euros for a Polarstep photobook, which was a gift to myself to remember the trip
- The rest was a mix of magnets, pins, and small tokens from the Camino and Tarta de Santiago to bring home


So this is it. Everything I spent in my Camino. I know a post like this would have been useful to me a few months ago, so it may be useful for someone else now.

Thanks. Very helpful!

 

[Helen Avoca]

I often see people asking about the daily average costs of the Camino and this was also something I was worried about before going, especially because in my day-to-day life I'm very conscious about how I spend my money (irresponsibly conscious, as in I spend way too much with things I don't need, but at least I know where my money is going).

I use an expense tracker and budget usually and thought about doing the same for the Camino. The first few days went great, I was tracking everything even the damn coins, but by the second week, I honestly didn't care anymore as long as I was vaguely aware I still had money in the pre-paid card I had with me. But now I am home and could export all the expenses from my bank and import them into my budget software, so here we have it!

It's not perfect, mainly because of cash. I had to withdraw cash twice and I can't honestly remember where I spent everything, but I had an overall idea, so the cash part (476 euros in total) is an approximation.

Anyway, I did the Camino Frances from SJPP to Santiago, from April 29th to May 30th. I'm not considering here the flight tickets or the train ticket to SJPP, but I am considering the day I was in Santiago just enjoying the city (May 31st). In total, I spent 2046,61 euros for 32 days, so around 64 euros per day. I could have spent way less, but I did enjoy my many nights in private rooms with private bathrooms.

This was my overall spending:
View attachment 148630

And now a breakdown:

Rooms:
View attachment 148631

- I stayed in a mix of private bedrooms, private albergues and public ones. After walking the first few days without a bed, I realized I needed the peace of mind of just walking without rushing and trying to win the bed race. So I only stayed in public albergues when it was a short day or when I knew it was a big one with many beds. Every 3 or 4 nights I would stay in a private bedroom.
- In total, there were 5 nights in public albergues (54 euros), 10 nights in private rooms, including 2 nights in Santiago (564 euros), and 14 in private albergues (310 euros)
- Not here: 3 nights in Airbnbs, 2 in León and 1 in Burgos. Not here because they were charged in brazilian reais on a different card, but it was around 160 euros for the three nights.

Food:
View attachment 148632
- Restaurants is a mix of lunch, dinner, snacks and breakfast. I almost never had lunch and dinner on the same day, it was usually one or the other, and around 15-22 euros for a menu del dia or menu peregrino. The cheapest I paid for a menu del dia was 12 and the most expensive was 22. For breakfast, I would usually walk 5-8km and stop for a coffee and tortilla or tostada, for which I paid anywhere from 2,50 to 5 euros per day. Also, I would have a caña (beer) or two in the afternoons, which were around 1,50 - 2 euros per glass.
- Grocery includes anything I bought in supermarkets, from chocolates (essential for the camino!!!) to instant noodles.

Extras:
View attachment 148634
Transportation:
- I took a bus twice, due to a mix of injury and time constraints: from Santo Domingo to Burgos and from Bercianos del Real Camino to Leon, both were around 5 euros
- I had to take a taxi from Zubiri to Pamplona (15 euros) because there were no beds available.
- I bought tickets for the bus to León for two of my Camino friends so here you can actually subtract 10 euros.
Equipment:
- Everything I paid for in the Oficina del Peregrino both in SJPP and in Santiago
- My hiking poles on Decathlon
- A pair of gloves somewhere in the mesetas, because it was way too cold in the early mornings and wearing socks as gloves was not fun
- Orange sim card
Pharmacy:
- Compeeds, ibuprofen, earplugs, a new shampoo bar
Tours
- Mostly museums and churches
Luggage Transport:
- 3 times I sent my backpack ahead when I had long days
- I sent my suitcase to Santiago with PaqPeregrino before I started my Camino
Gifts:
- 103 euros for a Polarstep photobook, which was a gift to myself to remember the trip
- The rest was a mix of magnets, pins, and small tokens from the Camino and Tarta de Santiago to bring home


So this is it. Everything I spent in my Camino. I know a post like this would have been useful to me a few months ago, so it may be useful for someone else now.

Thank you for sharing this great information. It is very similar to my experience on the Le Puy this time last year, that is, about 64€ or $100 Australian, each day. I also stayed in many private gites, but walked with friends so shared many expenses.

 

[Rod Murray]

A friend who is starting their Camino in September asked me what the typical costs for a lunch along the way are currently. Since it’s been 4 years since my last time on The Way, I’m going to defer to this wonderful group. Seeing this thread, I’ll put the question out here:

Anyone have any recent experiences with specific costs for a typical lunch, eg bocadilos, wine/beer, etc on the Camino Frances?

 

[Filippo05ff]

Thank you! I'm planning my Camino for next spring and I was wondering about a possible budget! this is so clear and helpful! Again Thanks!

 

[lsg]

Very helpful. Do you have any information about how you spent using cash vs card? Am wondering about how much cash is needed. Thanks!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Very helpful. Do you have any information about how you spent using cash vs card? Am wondering about how much cash is needed. Thanks!

@lsg, welcome to the forum. That particular question is answered numerous times a year. (It is important after all!).

The forum search function is the magnifying glass top right, tap on that. Enter a few keywords - eg "how much cash", select search titles only, hit search. You will see several threads from this year alone.

The general consensus seems to be start with between €2 to 300, top up as required.
It would be relatively easy to figure out the percentage of cash versus card, however there's no point because our individual spending habits vary greatly.

Happy planning!