How Much Should You Budget Per Day?

[JinOhChoi]

I’m considering the Camino Frances route from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. This would be my first Camino. I was wondering what people thought on the best budget for each day. Not knowing the breakdown of how much everything costs. Just trying to work out how much I need to save.

 

[David with new Kit!]

There has been a lot written on this forum about this subject and a search will surely provide answers.

Are you primarily interested in albergues only, or hostales for example?
Are you intending cooking for yourself or are you intending to eat in cafes or restaurants?
Are you looking for private accommodation or dormitory accommodation?

You will no doubt get various answers, but a lot depends on your own needs.

If you travel as a couple, sometimes private accommodation is similar in price to an andividual albergue price. (Not public albergues)

As a guide from myself, we travel as a couple and our combined costs are just over 100 euros per day as we prefer private accommodation and we eat out.

It can of course be done cheaper, it depends on your own expectations.

Welcome to the forum and best of luck with your planning

 

[davejsy]

Well this is very subjective, but, I think as above, €50pp is sensible if you are Albergue living (in Spain).

Some days you will spend less, for instance the cheapest Albergue I stayed in was €7 and the most expensive €20, and the cheapest communal meal I had was €8 and most expensive about €15 (obviously excluding the Donativo's). Then you will have your coffees/bocadillios or whatever you wish during the day.

So in theory some days you could spend less than €30 - but €50 should be your aim to cover worst case scenarios and anything you have left after that is a bonus!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I’m considering the Camino Frances route from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. This would be my first Camino. I was wondering what people thought on the best budget for each day. Not knowing the breakdown of how much everything costs. Just trying to work out how much I need to save.

Under the title of your thread you will see a small box with money/ banking /budget.
Tap on that and it'll bring up a huge amount of information. One of particular note last year was this:

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.

Many of us that walked this year or last year have replied to these questions with budgets of €30 - €50. (The reason I highlight the time frame is inflation since covid has been very high, costs have climbed accordingly.) You're not walking for two years, take this into consideration.

€30 is normally very basic - Municipals/Donnativo's, self catering etc. 50 includes going out for meals and a few private rooms /cheap hotels.

Obviously the more private rooms you seek the higher your costs will climb.

Edited to add: @davejsy posted the same info as I was writing!

 

[Simperegrina]

Well this is very subjective, but, I think as above, €50pp is sensible if you are Albergue living (in Spain).

Some days you will spend less, for instance the cheapest Albergue I stayed in was €7 and the most expensive €20, and the cheapest communal meal I had was €8 and most expensive about €15 (obviously excluding the Donativo's). Then you will have your coffees/bocadillios or whatever you wish during the day.

So in theory some days you could spend less than €30 - but €50 should be your aim to cover worst case scenarios and anything you have left after that is a bonus!

Agreed. Though maybe 50-55€. Bunk beds in private albergues inc breakfast can be anything from 13-20€. Maybe it’s 15-20€ this year.

This factors in snacks, bocadillo etc lunches, the much maligned menu allá pelegrino dinners etc.

A caveat is that I always spend more in Santiago - accommodation, nice meals, gifts - and usually spend more than one night there before returning home. Burgos and Leon also more expensive.

If you want private rooms, you’ll need to increase this daily amount by…what…25€?

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

I’m considering the Camino Frances route from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. This would be my first Camino. I was wondering what people thought on the best budget for each day. Not knowing the breakdown of how much everything costs. Just trying to work out how much I need to save.

albergues? hotels? sandwich? supermarket? fasting? proper restaurants?
more info is required
cheers

 

[Tante]

Well this is very subjective, but, I think as above, €50pp is sensible if you are Albergue living (in Spain).

Some days you will spend less, for instance the cheapest Albergue I stayed in was €7 and the most expensive €20, and the cheapest communal meal I had was €8 and most expensive about €15 (obviously excluding the Donativo's). Then you will have your coffees/bocadillios or whatever you wish during the day.

So in theory some days you could spend less than €30 - but €50 should be your aim to cover worst case scenarios and anything you have left after that is a bonus!

What do you mean by "obviously excluding the Donativo's"? I hope you mean you pay them extra?

 

[davejsy]

What do you mean by "obviously excluding the Donativo's"? I hope you mean you pay them extra?

Well you can't exactly say what cost a Donativo has as that is down to personal preference and generosity of spirit. I certainly wasn't suggesting they are free if that is what you are asking.

 

[Simperegrina]

What is it about the very word ‘donativo’ that seems to send some people straight to a place of suspicion that the poster thinks of donativos as freebies at worst, cheap places to stay at best?

Odd.

 

[dougfitz]

My contribution to a similar discussion from last year can be found here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/average-daily-expenses.80139/#post-1130643. It explains what my actual accommodation, food and laundry costs were on the CP in Spain. There might be some differences on the CF, but I wouldn't expect them to be great.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

What is it about the very word ‘donativo’ that seems to send some people straight to a place of suspicion that the poster thinks of donativos as freebies at worst, cheap places to stay at best?

Odd.

I think it’s because too many of us have come across people on Camino who think and treat Donativos that way. (I certainly have)

I wouldn’t assume that of long term forum members, nonetheless it is worth clarifying for any newcomers to the forum

 

[woody66]

Posted before; i met an American guy who had walked from SJPP using as many donativo's as he could because they were FREE!!!
We were walking to Mazarife i put him right but from his response and demeanor i got the feeling he was going to carry on!!

 

[Grousedoctor]

There does seem to be a mentality by some that a donotivo means a cheap night! I remember spending one of my favorite nights on the CP at Casa da Fernanda. What hospitality! A warm bed, snacks and wine upon arrival, a scrumptious dinner, and finally, a full breakfast. The generosity Fernanda offered I have yet to find again. But still, as pilgrims left in the morning, there were those who put nothing in her donation box. I can’t speak to how rare an occurrence this is, but it did happen on the one rather random time when I stayed there.

As you plan your expenses, it strikes me that if you normally spend €15 at a private albergue, then €15 is what you should plan to leave at a donotivo. If however, you primarily overnight at municipales, then a lower amount would be most appropriate. The same with places that offer group pilgrim dinners. If I can afford a €12 dinner that a albergue sells, then that should be the amount that I would leave at a donotivo that had provided an evening meal for me. My mindset for donotivos is what I should pay based on my usual spending pattern, not what I want to pay!

 

[jungleboy]

donotivo
donotivo
donotivo
donotivos

donativo(s)

 

[TravellingMan22]

There does seem to be a mentality by some that a donotivo means a cheap night! I remember spending one of my favorite nights on the CP at Casa da Fernanda. What hospitality! A warm bed, snacks and wine upon arrival, a scrumptious dinner, and finally, a full breakfast. The generosity Fernanda offered I have yet to find again. But still, as pilgrims left in the morning, there were those who put nothing in her donation box. I can’t speak to how rare an occurrence this is, but it did happen on the one rather random time when I stayed there.

As you plan your expenses, it strikes me that if you normally spend €15 at a private albergue, then €15 is what you should plan to leave at a donotivo. If however, you primarily overnight at municipales, then a lower amount would be most appropriate. The same with places that offer group pilgrim dinners. If I can afford a €12 dinner that a albergue sells, then that should be the amount that I would leave at a donotivo that had provided an evening meal for me. My mindset for donotivos is what I should pay based on my usual spending pattern, not what I want to pay!

Yes 100% agreed… just pay the normal ‘going rate…food, drink and accommodation. That makes it easy. Sadly alot of folks don’t based on the insight of some folks who have experiencein running places on here. I noticed it too. A few put in €5 and a few forgot to pay. My eyes are always opened when doing a ‘free city tour’ based on tips of how many don’t leave anything or very little. I have no real desire to subsidise other people but you should always pay your way on everything. The pilgrim population has alway seemed quite an affluent population to me which makes it even worse.

 

[Simperegrina]

I think it’s because too many of us have come across people on Camino who think and treat Donativos that way. (I certainly have)

I wouldn’t assume that of long term forum members, nonetheless it is worth clarifying for any newcomers to the forum

I get that some seem to be predisposed to looking at donativos in a certain way. I just think it’s a bit too quick to jump for the assumption button. That’s all. I think a hectoring tone, when deployed, is uncalled for.

 

[woody66]

Sorry but anyone who thinks nothing or five or maybe even ten euros is a fair price for a bed for the night and a shower and heat in 2024!
Probably drags their knuckles along the ground when they walk.

 

[dfox]

The following numbers were in 2017 if my memory serves me right:

• Breakfast: 3 euros (a croissant and coffee.)
• Snack: whatever available when I was hungry.
• Lunch: 5 ~ 10 euro / meal
• Dinner: 10 ~15 euros / meal
• Water: 2 ~ 4 euros? / day
• Fresh squeenzed orange juice (for vitamin C plys hydration): ?
• Albergue: 6 ~ 10 euros / day
• Luggage transfer: 5 to 8 euros / day

 

[@Ditts]

I’m considering the Camino Frances route from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. This would be my first Camino. I was wondering what people thought on the best budget for each day. Not knowing the breakdown of how much everything costs. Just trying to work out how much I need to save.

I did the Frances last year and primitivo this year and budgeted 50€ per day. I only had 3 private rooms on the whole of the Frances and 2 on the primitivo. I only cooked once when I stayed in a monastery but ate reasonably sensibly and had coffees and snacks etc. both times it worked really well. Particularly on the primitivo as there are not as many places to spend on the way. Buen Camino

 

[Molly Cassidy]

The following numbers were in 2017 if my memory serves me right:

• Breakfast: 3 euros (a croissant and coffee.)
• Snack: whatever available when I was hungry.
• Lunch: 5 ~ 10 euro / meal
• Dinner: 10 ~15 euros / meal
• Water: 2 ~ 4 euros? / day
• Fresh squeenzed orange juice (for vitamin C plys hydration): ?
• Albergue: 6 ~ 10 euros / day
• Luggage transfer: 5 to 8 euros / day

That seems like a lot for water.

 

[David Tallan]

I’m considering the Camino Frances route from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. This would be my first Camino. I was wondering what people thought on the best budget for each day. Not knowing the breakdown of how much everything costs. Just trying to work out how much I need to save.

I would budget 50 euros a day. More if you plan on regularly staying in private rooms. You may very well find it costs less. But better to overestimate.

 

[Bob Howard]

Assuming a $30-100 nudget, I think you should add an additional 30% for Coca-Colas and Cola Caos. “But I don’t drink Coca-Colas or hot chocolates”, you say. Oh, but you will!

 

[trecile]

The following numbers were in 2017 if my memory serves me right:

• Breakfast: 3 euros (a croissant and coffee.)
• Snack: whatever available when I was hungry.
• Lunch: 5 ~ 10 euro / meal
• Dinner: 10 ~15 euros / meal
• Water: 2 ~ 4 euros? / day
• Fresh squeenzed orange juice (for vitamin C plys hydration): ?
• Albergue: 6 ~ 10 euros / day
• Luggage transfer: 5 to 8 euros / day

Prices on the Camino have risen quite a bit since 2017. I noticed an increase over last year's prices!

Albergue prices now are €10 - €20+
Pilgrim dinners €12 - €17

Water is still free from fountains and albergue taps.

 

[henrythedog]

It’s not as difficult as it was to pay with a €50 on the Camino. The last three years have seen a step-up in the price of pretty much everything everywhere.

 

[JerryStroebele]

When I travel by myself I prefer just a bunk in an albergue dorm. But just last night I finished pre booking for a party of 6 old people (including me and I am the oldest by far) starting in late September and walking Obanos to Burgos. Using Gronze, the Camino Frances albergue list from this forum, Booking.com and my many guidebooks, I found a variety of accommodations 11 to 17 km apart, from private albergues, to casa rurals, posadas, pensions, hotels and apartments where I could pre-book private rooms for two people, or triple rooms, or just bunks, or multi-room apartments. The average cost is $205 for each night for the 6 of us, starting with a hostel in Madrid and ending in an apartment in Burgos. Average for one person would not be 1/6 of that because most are double rooms. A single person in a double or single private room would be charged just a little less than two people. Where I could find the website of an accommodation I tried to book directly over the internet or through WhatsApp. Several were already "completo." Buen Caminoi

 

[Rickcrna]

Under estimating a Camino budget is foolhardy. There are both anticipated and unforeseen expenses along the journey and there is no point in depriving yourself unnecessarily unless you’re a martyr. Based on my previous Camino experience, I would budget a minimum of 100 euros/day.

 

[MariaC]

I’m considering the Camino Frances route from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. This would be my first Camino. I was wondering what people thought on the best budget for each day. Not knowing the breakdown of how much everything costs. Just trying to work out how much I need to save.

Just finished adding what we spend on our Camino, 33 days staying always in private rooms, $114 per day. This includes pharmaceuticals, walking sticks and 6 nights in very nice hotels. I think a $50/day budget in albergues would be very reasonable

 

[Sirage]

Time for some direct words:

I think a $50/day budget in albergues would be very reasonable

I am really curious about how your experience allows you to make this "very reasonable" claim.

Your exact $114 is based on various uncertain items and the even more vague "very nice" hotels.

Let me claim Euro 65 with 65% of the nights in Albergues ranging Euros 8 - 15 / night and 2 very nice steaks during an extended walk. But I don't bother with exact accounting - I just bother with making sure I have access enough money when required.

 

[TravellingMan22]

My experience across 3 camimos was that I netted out about €50 a day assuming dorms and basic restaurants and certainly having read a lot of these threads, many seem to be in the same ballpark. Having a budget doesn’t mean that you have to keep to it if you have more money, or sometimes you will spend more or less, but just gives a financial structure. If I see a nice clothing item in SDC for example, the budget gets blown!!!

Of course if you want to track, many banking apps let you do so by spend category.

Obv. for folks with little money donativos allow you to reduce your budget very significantly.

 

[oursonpolaire]

What is it about the very word ‘donativo’ that seems to send some people straight to a place of suspicion that the poster thinks of donativos as freebies at worst, cheap places to stay at best?

Odd.

Like some others posting, I have run into far, far, far too many pilgrims who have assumed that it meant free. In every training session in which I have helped, I joined with other veterans in making clear that this was not so.

I wish the assumption were odd: sadly, it is not so.

 

[TravellingMan22]

Like some others posting, I have run into far, far, far too many pilgrims who have assumed that it meant free. In every training session in which I have helped, I joined with other veterans in making clear that this was not so.

I wish the assumption were odd: sadly, it is not so.

Presumably for folks who are poor it can be free. But yes I was astonished how folks with plenty of money would put no more than €5 in or forget to pay. I was surprised how open people were about it! In a life of travel, pilgrims are just about the most affluent folks I have come across so it’s a bit soul destroying!

 

[oursonpolaire]

Presumably for folks who are poor it can be free. But yes I was astonished how folks with plenty of money would put no more than €5 in or forget to pay. I was surprised how open people were about it! In a life of travel, pilgrims are just about the most affluent folks I have come across so it’s a bit soul destroying!

In our training sessions, we would occasionally be able to see that some of the would-be pilgrims were Strapped For Cash-- our suggestion, which I have repeated along the way, is that donativos existed by gifts and support. Those who honestly could not contribute with cash (and it happens) should embrace the opportunity to be of service in other ways-- pick up a mop, wash the dishes, assist the hospitaleros etc. Indeed, those who could contribute with money might want to try this as well. There are times when giving service is incredibly rewarding.

 

[TravellingMan22]

In our training sessions, we would occasionally be able to see that some of the would-be pilgrims were Strapped For Cash-- our suggestion, which I have repeated along the way, is that donativos existed by gifts and support. Those who honestly could not contribute with cash (and it happens) should embrace the opportunity to be of service in other ways-- pick up a mop, wash the dishes, assist the hospitaleros etc. Indeed, those who could contribute with money might want to try this as well. There are times when giving service is incredibly rewarding.

Good and reassuring to hear! Do many people who can’t pay offer service?

 

[oursonpolaire]

Good and reassuring to hear! Do many people who can’t pay offer service?

Can't answer that as I'm not on the ground-- others might be more helpful.

 

[Kiwi-family]

I see a lot of suggestion on this thread that €50 should be a minimum budget. I have recently returned from 60 days walking and because I knew I was going to be gone quite a while, I made an effort to keep my costs down. I used municipals where I could and a few private albergues, and while I tried not to cook (because it’s not my favourite activity) I rarely ate a meal out. Lots of supermarket salads and cheese to go with bread from a bakery. I did have my fair share of cola caos and tortilla de patatas.
Accounting only for food and accommodation, I averaged just under €25 a day. Unless you were sleeping in a tent or compromising on healthy food, I don’t think you could go much cheaper - but if you need to budget tightly, you don’t have to spend €50 a day. I would, however, recommend having some emergency money if you are budgeting at the lower end.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I agree completely.
Rachel, just as a matter of interest what was your total spend for the day? Excluding flights to and from NZ.
My budgets always include incidentals because whilst they vary from person to person they tend to average out.

Logically, I've also found that the longer I walk the lower my daily costs tend to become. A one week camino like the Inglés for example tends to be rather expensive for me because I eat out every day. I also start and end every camino with a private room. Added to which my private room in Santiago tends to be near the cathedral...
Naturally these high costs affect my daily average.
However with anything over a week I start to eat far more of the supermarket salads, cook for myself/ groups etc, and the percentage of albergues to private rooms drops dramatically!

 

[markie6]

I'd base my spending on 2 years ago at around the 35-40 € per day range

Couple of coffees , 2 Beers , 1 Pilgrim Menu and 1 Albergue bed plus a small breakfast and a Boccadillo

You can budget for more or less. The minimum has gone up since 2018 and I'd guess again since 2022

If I was having my pack moved for me or if I needed / wanted to stay in private rooms, I'd probably be looking at 20 € more per day

A great camino can be had on any budget IMHO

 

[Kiwi-family]

I agree completely.
Rachel, just as a matter of interest what was your total spend for the day? Excluding flights to and from NZ.
My budgets always include incidentals because whilst they vary from person to person they tend to average out.

My incidentals weren’t too high - €5 for a cathedral or monastery visit here or there, 50 cents for an eraser because I lost mine, €3,20 for a bus back to Pamplona from Cizur Menor and then back again in the morning. It was just enough to tip my daily average to “just over €25”.
For the first time I stayed a couple of nights in the municipal in Santiago, and yes it is 3km from the cathedral, but that’s not a long walk!! I might not have done it if I hadn’t needed to in order to keep my average at €25 lol
My big incidental cost is in the vicinity of €600 - I had to have a root canal. But hopefully insurance will be paying out on that. I’ve not included that.

 

[SlowCamino2024]

Just finished adding what we spend on our Camino, 33 days staying always in private rooms, $114 per day. This includes pharmaceuticals, walking sticks and 6 nights in very nice hotels. I think a $50/day budget in albergues would be very reasonable

Thank you for sharing. Did you prepare your own meals? How often dined out? Two people at $114...
What was average hotel or other private accommodation? I was planning to prepare own food and coffee
and only dine out once a day. Single traveler. Do you think $100 US would be enough? Thanks for all feedback.
I was planning for Sept 2024.