Colombia is a pretty cheap destination for Backpackers. Not as cheap as, say, Peru or Bolivia. But cheaper than Brazil, Chile, or Uruguay.

Yet, thanks to the depreciation of the Colombian Peso, it has gotten cheaper in recent years – even as international tourism has boomed.

It is an ideal destination for budget Backpackers.

It will be difficult to break the bank if you travel as the average Colombian lives. But if you blow out – and by blow out, we mean eating out daily, being merry with cocktails, and splurging on accommodation – your savings will quickly disappear.

Sticking to hostel deforms, eating local food, and using budget transport won't be to everyone's taste – we're looking at you flashpackers. But, on the whole, Colombia is pretty damn affordable.

Check out the tool below to peek at the live exchange rate.

Accommodation

Colombia has an abundance of options when it comes to accommodation, enough to delight any backpacker on any budget. The country is renowned for its incredible hostels, luxury hotels, and plentiful Airbnbs. So, let's break down what accommodations you'll choose between in Colombia and, more importantly, what they'll cost you.

Hostels

Colombia boasts some of the best on the continent, from sizeable chains and boutique establishments to remote getaways and privately owned gems.

Backpackers benefit from free WiFi, laundry facilities, free breakfasts, common rooms, outdoor terraces, and self-catering kitchens at most hostels in Colombia. Some also host self-contained restaurants-come-bars, swimming pools, BBQ facilities, games rooms, and more. Many host activities for guests, like salsa classes in Calí, graffiti tours in Medellín, or food tours in Cartagena.

Dorm rooms are cheap and cheerful, typically costing between 25,000 and 65,000 COP – depending on where you're staying, the hostel's facilities, and how many people you share with. Most dorm rooms feature privacy curtains, charging points, security lockers, and some form of cooling. Prices are cheaper in rural areas and small towns and are highest along the Caribbean coast and in major cities.

Private hostel rooms start at around 50,000 COP. The sky is the limit for bigger and better quarters and amenities – we've seen some hostels advertising private suites at 540,000 COP per night! Many hostels offer private rooms in different configurations, some with two single beds, perfect for friends traveling together. Some with a double bed for couples. Some with a double and a single perfect for couples and an unfortunate third wheel. You'll even find the occasional 'family room,' perfect for those traveling with a group. Private hostel rooms will be cheaper in smaller towns and rural areas than in tourist hotspots and big cities.

Hotels

Hotels can be a nice option for last-minute arrangements or a break from sharing with others in a dorm room.

In rural destinations, Colombia's hotels fall into the 'does the job' category. You'll be able to find a basic room with an en-suite bathroom for around 60,000 COP. 

For something a little more luxurious in major cities and more well-known destinations, you can expect to pay around 100,000 COP per night.

Colombia also has its fair share of luxury boutique hotels, such as Isla de Providencia's Deep Blue Hotel. Rooms can easily reach a dizzying 650,000 COP per night for more luxurious residences.

Airbnbs

Airbnb is very popular in Colombia, especially amongst the digital nomad community – and it's easy to see why.

Prices for a nice apartment or house start at around 90,000 COP per night, though this can stretch up to 250,000 COP per night in big cities.

Monthly stays are cheap if you want to get some work done or need a breather from life on the road. To take Colombia's two biggest cities – Medellín and Bogotá – as an example, you'll be able to find monthly stays in luxury apartments for under 5,000,000 COP.

Everything Else

In some cases, Hostels, Hotels, and Airbnbs will be out of the question. This could mean an overnight stay in hammocks at national parks like Tayrona or camping in the wilderness somewhere like Los Nevados National park. You may even consider giving Couchsurfing a go.

Activities, Attractions & Tours

There is so much to do in Colombia, and it'd be easy to blow your entire budget on this aspect of your trip alone.

The average cost of tours in Colombia lies somewhere around 30,000 COP. However, this can vary wildly.

Some big-ticket activities in Colombia might include the Lost City trek priced at 1,350,000 COP, Securing your PADI diving certificate in Providencia for 800,000 COP, or the Bogotá food and coffee tasting tour at 250,000 COP.

At the other end of the scale, entrance to national parks doesn't cost the Earth. Getting into Parque Tayrona is one of the most expensive, with entrance costing 54,500 COP. Museums are also pretty cheap, costing about 10,000 COP – though they are often free on Sundays. Other activities, such as white water rafting, kayaking, paragliding, and bungee jumping, are also fairly priced.

If you want to see and do everything that comes your way in Colombia, the price of tours and activities could easily eclipse the cost of food and accommodation. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Colombia has a wealth of free activities that backpackers can indulge in. From hiking through stunning national parks and sweeping countryside to roaming the beaches of the Caribbean, taking walking tours of the country's biggest cities, and exploring landmarks like Lake Guatavita – the birthplace of the legend of El Dorado. There is enough to keep your expenses down without ever getting bored.

If your Colombia escapade requires some inspo, click here for our pick of the top ten things to do in Colombia.

Food

Colombian cuisine is deemed bland, unhealthy, and slathered in grease.

This conception is wrong. Colombian food is stunning. It's heavy ingredients, sweet deserts, unheard-of fruits, and hearty soul food. And it's cheap.

There's a great street food scene, awesome budget restaurants, an emerging fine-dining scene, eye-popping markets, and lively nightlife. So let's break it down for a run-through of what you can expect to pay for eating like a king in Colombia. If you want a glimpse at some of the best local foods in Colombia, click here.

Restaurants

Though not the most wallet-friendly means of filling your belly, Colombia's restaurants are well priced. Absurdly cheap in the countryside and affordable in the city. Colombian restaurants will delight with authentic local cuisine and familiar western indulgences.

At budget restaurants, you can find s decent meal for 10,000 COP. Mid-range restaurants are priced slightly higher, with meals priced around 25,000 COP. For restaurants in Colombia's burgeoning fine-dining scene, meals start at around 60,000 COP.

Typically, prices jump in tourist areas such as Zona Rosa in Bogotá and El Poblado in Medellín.

If you're craving the creature comforts of western takeaways such as McDonald's or Subway, meals will set you back about 15,000 COP.

Colombian restaurants' most wallet-friendly meals come from the famous Menu del Dia, a two-course meal served at lunch for around 15,000 COP. These meals typically consist of a soup for starters, meat, potatoes, patacones, rice for mains, and fresh juice. It's enough to fill you for the day, meaning you can rely on street food for breakfast and dinner to see you through the day. Speaking of street food...

Street Food

Excluding tourist hotspots, Colombia's street food is a bargain and can be found everywhere. If you're trying to save money, it's a great way of filling up without visiting a restaurant for a full meal.

Arepas and Empanadas are the most typical street food in Colombia. Arepas cost around 3,000 COP – The Arepa con Queso (arepa and cheese) is a must-try. Empanadas are usually stuffed with minced meat or an assortment of vegetables and typically cost around 500 COP each – very cheap and filling.

It's also pretty easy to grab street food that'd pass for a full meal. For example, you can find a portion of grilled meats served with potatoes or fries for 10,000 COP.

Grocery Shopping

Food shopping is cheap in Colombia, providing you know where to go. If you're staying somewhere with a fully-equipped kitchen – hostel, Airbnb, or otherwise – it's a cheap alternative to dining out every day, with meals for three days costing about 50,000 COP. Food for a week's worth of meals will cost about 100,000 COP.

But getting cheap food means steering clear of supermarkets, where everything costs a little bit more. Instead, shopping for groceries should take you to local Mercados, Tiendas, and street vendors. These places are almost always cheaper than supermarkets, and the food is generally fresher and of higher-quality.

Drinks

So, let's start this one with the boring stuff.

A bottle of water in Colombia will cost you 2,000 COP for half a liter. It doesn't seem much, but it adds up quickly if you're constantly buying them. It's bad for the environment too. Save yourself some money and invest in a purifying water bottle. We recommend the Grayl Geopress.

Coffee, freshly cultivated in Colombia, is also pretty cheap. Street vendors selling Tinto – a small, sweet, black coffee that is a favorite of Colombians – will cost 2,000 COP. Anything from fancier cafés will cost between 4,000 and 10,000 COP.

Now, for the fun stuff – and by fun, we mean alcoholic, starting with beer. 

Beer is dirt cheap in Colombia, whether from a store or a bar. The country has a great selection of domestic beers; Aguila and Club Colombia are some of our favorites. Imported beers cost a little more. If buying beer from the store, expect to pay 3,000 COP for a bottle. In bars, it's about 4,000 COP, though it will be higher for craft beers or if you're at a 'backpacker bar.'

Next up, cocktails. Cocktails are expensive in Colombia. We're talking somewhere between 20,000 and 35,000 COP per cocktail. Some hostels will offer 2-for-1s at their bar, but even then, it's ludicrous. If it comes to choosing two cocktails or a bed for the night in a nice hostel, we're picking the hostel and sticking to beer.

Elsewhere, spirits will cost between 50,000 and 70,000 COP from a store and up to twice that in a bar. We highly recommend Aguardiente, the cheap and cheerful drink of choice in Colombia – costing 25,000 COP for half a bottle at a store and 50,000 COP at a bar. A mid-range bottle of wine will cost about 25,000 COP from a store.

Transport

Like so much else in Colombia, transportation is wallet-friendly for backpackers. You can find out more about transportation in Colombia here.

Coaches

We'll kick this section off with coaches, a mode of transport that literally everyone will use at some point or another when moving between cities in Colombia.

Big inter-city coaches are the best way of covering long distances throughout the country, not to mention the cheapest. We recommend checking out operators such as Bolivariano, Expresso Palmira, and Trejos when planning trips between cities. They all make it easy to research fares and schedules on their respective websites.

Long-haul trips lasting over six hours see a noticeable jump in prices, but beneath that, prices tend to range between 20,000 and 40,000 COP. Prices for some of those longer journeys include:

• Cartagena to Santa Marta: 55,000 COP – 6 hours

• Santa Marta to San Gil: 120,000 COP – 14 hours

• San Gil to Medellín: 90,000 COP – 11.5 hours

• Medellín to Bogotá: 90,000 COP – 11 hours

• Medellín to Salento: 70,000 COP – 7 hours

• Bogotá to Calí: 90,000 COP – 10.5 hours

• Calí to Pasto: 90,000 COP – 7 hours

These are expensive, but you can actually drive down the price by haggling over the fee. If seats aren't sold out, and you're booking the journey late, you can be more daring with your bargaining.

Collectivos

Collectivos are great fun. Often run by private operators to shuttle tourists to popular nearby attractions. They're a bit like a big shared taxi, except you have no idea who you're sharing with, and you're in a minibus, so nothing like a taxi at all, really. 

In any case, they're much faster and much more direct than proper buses. However, that efficiency comes at a premium, usually 5,000-10,000 COP more than buses.

Planes

Colombia has some of the cheapest domestic flights on the continent, which is great for backpackers looking to hop between destinations that might otherwise require an overnight coach. After all, a one-hour flight from Medellín to Bogotá sounds much more appealing than an 11-hour coach for 20,000 COP, right? If you can stomach the CO2 emissions from the flight, that is.

In some cases, a domestic flight is unavoidable, a la Cartagena to Isla de Providencia via San Andrés and Bogotá to Caño Cristales. Return flights to Providencia cost about 550,000 COP, while return flights to Caño Cristales will cost around 385,000 COP.

As ever, if you intend to fly, check Skyscanner for the best deals and make sure you have proof of onward travel.

Public Transport

Public transport in Colombia is ludicrously cheap but gets a bad rep due to pickpockets and theft.

In Medellín, a one-way trip on the esteemed metro system will cost 2,500 COP. Though not always, these fees also tend to cover the metro cable, be sure to check.

Elsewhere, inner-city buses will cost between 1,000 and 2,500 COP for a one-way trip.

While very cheap, we'd almost always recommend booking an Uber over taking public transport – purely for safety. Which leads nicely on to...

Taxis

Taxis don't have meters outside of Colombia's big cities, and trips around town shouldn't ever cost more than 20,000 COP. The absence of meters also leaves greater wiggle room for haggling over the price.

In major cities, such as Cartagena, Bogotá, Medellín, Calí there are meters. In any case, we recommend taking an Uber over a taxi when possible.

Unfortunately, Colombia's taxis have a reputation for being a little shady. Some backpackers have reported instances of theft or even drivers purposely running the meter up. Uber's are much safer with driver and trip details being logged on the app. They're often a lot cheaper too.

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous bits and bobs generally shouldn't take up too much of your budget in Colombia. However, there are a few things you'll need to shell out for which are worth mentioning.

SIMs

Staying connected in Colombia is important for your safety, getting around, and keeping in touch with your loved ones back home. In today's day and age, getting your hands on some data is invaluable. Luckily, prepaid SIMs in Colombia are pretty cheap, and you should be able to snag a sizeable amount of data for under 50,000 COP. You can find out more about SIMs in Colombia here.

Toiletries

There's no getting around this one; toiletries in Colombia are pretty damn expensive. We certainly don't recommend filling your backpack with toiletries from back home. You'll just have to live with it and use products sparingly.

Medicine & Healthcare

Medicine from pharmacies is cheap, and if you fall ill or need to replenish your first aid kit, it won't make too much of a dent in your budget. Similarly, seeing a practitioner at a hospital costs as low as 40,000 COP – though it won't cost a penny if you're a smart backpacker with travel insurance. You can find out more about healthcare in Colombia here.

Budget Backpacker

Being a budget backpacker won't prove detrimental to your experience of Colombia. The country is generally very affordable, and you're unlikely to be priced out of much.

Accommodation

Being a budget backpacker in Colombia means you're going to be spending a lot of time in hostels. When booking accommodation, you'll look at dorm rooms – a true backpacker staple, with the odd private room and budget hotel here and there.

With these options, your accommodation should cost between 25,000 and 60,000 COP per night. 50,000 COP is a nice figure to aim for, though this won't always be possible.

Activities, Attractions & Tours

Budget backpackers may have to pass up some big-ticket adventures in Colombia, such as treks to the Lost City, visits to Caño Cristales, or a paradisical escape to Isla de Providencia.

If you can squeeze one of these into your budget, we recommend trekking to Ciudad Perdida, Colombia's Lost City. It would be a highlight of backpacking in South America, let alone Colombia, and it's the cheapest of the three.

That aside, Colombia has so much to offer that can be done cheaply. That might be free city walking tours, exploring vast national parks, museums, and more. You won't be restricted in what you see, though you may sometimes be restricted in what you do.

We recommend budgeting around 50,000 COP per day for tours and activities.

Food & Drink

Colombia has an amazing gastronomic scene, with plenty of cheap eats specializing in local cuisine.

On a tight budget, we recommend looking to stay at hostels offering free breakfasts. This rarely hikes up the price of your stay and is a great way to fill up before departing for whatever adventures await you that day.

After a free breakfast, we recommend seeking out an ever-popular Menu del Dia for lunch. Many restaurants will offer Menu del Dia's – a filling two-course meal usually priced at around 15,000 COP.

With Menu del Dia's proving so substantial, you could easily skip dinner at a restaurant and secure some delicious street food instead. A 10,000 COP splurge will ensure you never go hungry.

If you want to head out for dinner, meals at well-priced restaurants shouldn't set you back more than 20,000 COP.

Prepping your own meals is a great alternative to eating out for those staying at a hostel with a self-catering kitchen. If you venture out to a local market, or Mercado as they're known in Colombia, you'll be able to buy a week's worth of food for less than 120,000 COP.

Bottled water in Colombia is pretty cheap, costing around 2,000 COP per 500 ml. However, the costs quickly mount up if you're grabbing two or three bottles daily. For your wallet and the environment, we recommend shelling out on a Grayl Geopress.

If you fancy some of Colombia's world-famous coffee, stick to the local favorite, Tinto. You'll be able to find a piping hot cup of rich Tinto at pretty much any street vendor for around 2,000 COP.

With all that in mind, we recommend budgeting around 60,000 COP per day for food.

Nightlife

You'll want to steer clear of pricey cocktails and stick to beer when heading to Colombia's bars and clubs. Cocktails are ludicrously expensive, so much so that buying two is equivalent to a night's stay at a nice hostel. By comparison, beers will only cost 4,000 COP.

You could also save cash by heading to a local store to buy beers and pre-drink before heading out. You'll be able to grab a six-pack of decent domestic beer for around 8,000 COP at most stores.

Additionally, many hostels in Colombia have an on-site bar with a daily happy hour, which we recommend making the most of. This also saves you the expense of catching an Uber back to your hostel. 

We'd advise an average daily budget of 25,000 COP for Colombia's nightlife – although we hope you're not going out every single night!

Transportation

Budget backpacking in Colombia means you're spending a lot of time on coaches and public transport. While there are taxis and Ubers in Colombia, aim to use them sparingly. 

Shorter coach journeys will cost between 20,000 and 40,000 COP, though longer inter-city coaches are markedly more. 

Public transportation is cheap, costing 2,500 COP or less for one-way journeys around cities.

When you need a ride back to your hostel, skip taxis and hail an Uber. Not only are Ubers a third of the price, but they're also a lot safer with driver and trip details being logged. On a tight budget, you should only really be catching an Uber back to your accommodation after a night out. 

Overall, we recommend budgeting 35,000 COP per day for transportation.

The Bottom Line

That comes in at 220,000 COP per day for backpackers on a budget.

Mid-Range Backpacker

Accommodation

You're still spending most of your time in hostels on a mid-range budget in Colombia. However, you can indulge a little more.

This means staying at more 'boutique' hostels, such as the popular Selena chain or Los Patios in Medellín.

Such hostels boast many facilities and amenities while hosting guests' daily tours and activities. All of which make for a more enjoyable stay.

While you'll still be staying in loads of dorms, private rooms are on the cards. Possibly even the odd Airbnb.

All of that is great, but don't go crazy.

You can afford the best when staying in dorms and often share with fewer people than you would in cheaper rooms. You'll generally be looking at spending 60,000 COP per night.

That same sort of money, if not a little more, will also be enough to get you into basic private rooms and cheap and cheerful Airbnbs; nothing out of this world, but still comfortable. Try to avoid anything over 110,000 COP per night.

Considering the above, we recommend budgeting 90,000 COP per day for accommodation.

Activities, Attractions & Tours

Entrance fees and transport to attractions won't bother you on a mid-range budget. Moreover, you can afford to splurge a little more on activities. This might mean paragliding over the Chicamocha Canyon in San Gil, kayaking along the Magdalena river in San Augustín, catching a boat to Casa en el Agua, and so on.

It also means you'll be able to book some of the country's biggest tours. This might include trekking to Ciudad Perdida or climbing Nevada del Tolima in Los Nevados national park.

However, some excursions, such as flying to Isla de Providencia or visiting Caño Cristales, will remain out of budget.

We recommend budgeting to spend 80,000 COP per day on activities, attractions, and tours.

Food & Drink

Armed with a bigger budget, your options for food and drink increase.

We still recommend hostels that offer a free breakfast to guests. However, occasionally spoiling yourself with a hearty brunch at Colombia's many posh cafes isn't out of the question. Such a meal usually costs around 15,000 COP – 20,000 COP with a coffee.

A Menu del Dia is still a good option for lunch, with its 15,000 COP price very attractive. Though a standard meal priced at 20,000 COP is still affordable.

If you're eating out for dinner, aim to spend around 25,000 COP on your meal – though stretching to 35,000 COP is fine if you had a free breakfast at your hostel earlier in the day.

Again, balancing your spending on meals out with prepping your own meals when the opportunity presents itself is a great way of keeping costs down. It also allows you to spend a little more freely when you do eat out.

Regarding drinks, we've already discussed how bottled water is cheap – though the cost to your wallet and the environment stack up quickly. We recommend investing in a Grayl Geopress as an alternative that'll save you money in the long run.

When it comes to coffee, you'll be able to splurge a bit more in some of Colombia's nicer coffee shops and cafes. Coffee's costing up to 6,000 COP will be comfortably within budget.

Rounding up all of the above, we recommend budgeting about 75,000 COP per day for food and drinks.

Nightlife

Though you may be on a mid-range budget, we still recommend sticking to beer. Cocktails in Colombia really are that expensive.

However, with a more sizeable budget to hand, you should feel pretty comfortable spoiling yourself with more familiar imported beers, which typically cost around 8,000 COP. Occasional dabbling with the cheap locals' spirit of choice, Aguardiente, is a tempting alternative.

With a bigger budget, you can also afford to head out more regularly, whether to bars or clubs demanding an entrance fee. You'll also be able to catch an Uber back to your hostel more regularly.

However, that's not to say you should turn your nose up at your hostel's on-site bar – if they have one. These are generally much cheaper and are a great opportunity to make friends with your fellow guests.

We recommend budgeting 40,000 COP per day for Colombia's nightlife for those traveling on a mid-range budget. This is another good time to stress that you most certainly not be going out every day.

Transportation

The only real difference between those getting transportation on a 'mid-range' budget to those on a smaller budget is how liberal you want to be with taxis and Ubers. You may even catch the odd collective here and there.

Even with a bigger budget, you're going to be spending a lot of time on Colombia's excellent system of coaches as they ferry you from one town or city to the next.

Overall we'd suggest budgeting to spend 50,000 COP on transport per day.

The Bottom Line

That comes in at 335,000 COP per day for backpackers on a mid-range budget.

Flashpacker Backpacker

Pinpointing what a flash backer budget might look like is a bit more tricky. It varies so much! So, we'll treat this section as a 'minimum suggested budget' to live the lie of a flashpacker in Colombia.

Accommodation

While you shouldn't rule out staying in the occasional hostel dorm, for the social aspect, if nothing else, private rooms are the way forward for you, my friend.

Whether private rooms in some of Colombia's most opulent hostels or premium rooms in more traditional hotels, these will be your primary means of accommodation in Colombia.

When staying in hostels, you can afford to stay in the best of the best, with facilities and amenities considered luxuries elsewhere.

With more traditional hotels, Colombia's most luxurious rooms may remain out of reach. Still, you'll be able to afford something pretty nice.

You'll also have money to stay in more of Colombia's Airbnbs. If you're a digital nomad, this might even mean hanging around in cities such as Cartagena, Medellín, or Bogotá for a full month.

Overall, we recommend a budget of 170,000 COP per day for accommodation. This will get you a room in Colombia's best hostels, premium hotels, or luxury apartments for monthly stays at an Airbnb.

Activities, Attractions & Tours

Colombia is your oyster on a flashpacker budget, with no tour or activity out of your reach.

That extra money opens an avenue for visiting some of Colombia's priciest destinations. This might mean catching a flight to the island paradise of Providencia or paying a visit to the most beautiful river in the world – Caño Cristales.

The only caution we'd advise is that you don't participate in every single activity or tour you're presented with. Doing so would eat through your budget very quickly.

We recommend budgeting 140,000 COP per day for activities, attractions, and tours on a flashpacker budget.

Food & Drink

You can afford to eat whatever you want on a flashpacker budget without breaking the bank. Colombia is considered a cheap country, and you'll notice that when it comes to food on a flashpacker budget.

If you want to head out in the morning and spend 20,000 COP on a fancy breakfast, do it.

If you want to drop 10,000 COP on some delicious street food as a mid-morning snack, go for it.

When it comes to lunch, you'll be able to afford a good meal for 20,000 COP.

And then, for dinner, you can afford to go to some of the country's more upscale restaurants, dining to the tune of 50,000 COP.

The cost of bottled water won't bother you when it comes to drinks, though its environmental impact should. We can't emphasize the difference investing in a Grayl Geopress will make.

You can get whatever you want for less than 10,000 COP when it comes to coffee. Even if it's from the best coffee shops in Colombia.

Overall, we recommend budgeting 115,000 COP a day for food and drink.

Nightlife

Those pricey cocktails we keep banging on about? Well, they finally begin to look a little more affordable on a flashpacker budget.

On a flashpacker budget, you'll be able to head to the best clubs and bars in Colombia, partying harder than you would on a smaller budget. If beers are your thing, that's cool. But the extra cash means you can get a little bougee with your drinks – cocktails, wines, spirits, or otherwise.

Having a bigger budget also means you'll never need to fret about the expense of catching an Uber back to your accommodation.

We recommend setting a daily budget of 70,000 COP for Colombia's nightlife on a flashpacker budget. However, if you feel compelled to go out every night, we suggest seeking Jesus.

Transportation

On a flashpacker budget, you'll travel Colombia in style.

You needn't concern yourself with public transport as you'll be able to afford taxis or Ubers wherever you need to go. When it comes to coaches, you'll be able to spend a little more for a comfier experience on those oh-so-long journeys. You may even book the odd domestic flight to skip the long coach journeys altogether.

We recommend budgeting to spend 80,000 COP per day on transportation.

The Bottom Line

All in all that comes in at 580,000 COP per day. But as we've already said, that's probably the minimum – the sky is the limit here.

Avoid ‘Gringolands’

Like just about everywhere else in the world, tourist hotspots, and tourist neighborhoods, are wildly overpriced.

Not only that, but Gringolands distill and dilute the culture wherever you find yourself.

This is true of gringo lands in Colombia, with El Poblado in Medellín, Old Town Cartagena, and Parque 93 in Bogotá particularly culpable.

Though it's perhaps not the case in Cartagena – there are better and cheaper places to stay in these destinations. Places that immerse you in Colombia and its people. Do your wallet and yourself a favor, and steer clear of staying in Gringolands where you can.

Be Wary Of ATMs

While convenient, ATMs off the street can come with a charge – sometimes as much as 40,000 COP. We always recommend taking cash out at a bank. You will not only avoid the withdrawal charge but also spare yourself from falling foul to ATM skimmers.

Cook Your Own Food

Eating out in Colombia is relatively cheap, but grocery shopping and cooking your meals are even cheaper, especially if you're shopping in a Mercado.

That's not to say never eat out in Colombia. By all means, eat all the street food, and go for dinner on social occasions.

But if your hostel has a kitchen, use it. Not only will food for three days cost no more than 50,000 COP, but it also offers some respite from the deep-fried food that's a staple of Colombian cuisine.

Eat Like The Locals

If you stick to local Colombian cuisine, sticking to a budget should be easy. It's not the healthiest food in the world, but it is cheap and filling.

If you're staying at a hostel that offers free breakfast, make sure you eat your fill. Failing that, head to local street vendors for a delicious and filling Arepa Con Queso – costing about 3,000 COP.

For lunch, stick to the ever-popular Menu Del Dia, consisting of a soup, arepa, meat, rice, salad, and a drink – all for under 15,000 COP. Menu del Dia's are incredibly filling, and more often than not, you'll only need some street food for dinner.

On the topic of Colombia's delicious street food, arepas are a steal, as are empanadas and fruit, which cost about 500 COP for a serving.

Eating for 20,000 COP a day without going hungry is feasible if you do all this.

Haggle Whenever Possible

Haggling is part of life in Colombia, so be sure to drive sellers down at local markets, street food vendors, or even long-haul buses. Nothing is off the table. This is especially true with taxis, with no meters outside the country's major cities.

Head To Museums On Sunday

If this is your sort of thing, Sunday is the day for it, with entrance to most museums being completely free!

Make The Most Of Points

There are a lot of hostel chains in Colombia, and many of them will allow you to collect points that can be redeemed for future stays with the chain. If you're smart, this can save you pesos on your trip. Selina and Viajero, in particular, have excellent point schemes that can be used toward future stays.

Save Money In The South Of Colombia

Destinations in Southern Colombia are cheap compared to tourist hotspots on the Caribbean Coast and away from the country's biggest cities. Calí, San Agustín, and Pasto see much less tourism. Your money will go much further here – especially handy if the South of Colombia falls later into your trip.

Skip The Cocktails, Stick To beer

Colombia's cocktail scene is booming – particularly in Medellín – but holy shit is it expensive. Cocktails tend to cost between 20,000 and 30,000 COP. You do the math, accommodation for a night or two cocktails? And when you stop to think that beers will cost you about 4,000 COP at a bar, it seems even crazier.

Stay In Dorms

It goes without saying, but hostel dorms are backpacker staples for a good reason. In Colombia, hostels are excellent – they're clean, modern, and boast many facilities. Many even have pools, especially on the Caribbean coast. They're also great value, with prices typically sitting between 30,000 and 60,000 COP.

Take Free Walking Tours

We firmly believe walking tours are one of the best ways to get to grips with a new city or town. They also arm you with some expert local knowledge that will serve you well for the duration of your stay. In Colombia, most of these tours are free – though tips for your guide are warmly welcomed. Many backpackers who take walking tours around major cities such as Bogotá, Cartagena, and Medellín report it as a trip highlight. It's a great way to pass a couple of hours without breaking the bank.

Take Ubers Around Town

Uber's are dirt cheap in Colombia, about a third of the price of regular taxis. If you're trying to get around big cities such as Bogotá, Calí, or Medellín safely and cheaply, Ubers will prove invaluable.

On a technical note, Ubers are illegal in Colombia, so we recommend leaving your driver with a tip to account for the risk they're taking.

Travel In Groups

Traveling with others will help save some Pesos. Many guided tours will offer discounted rates if you're looking to book as part of a larger group. Even if you're not coughing up for a paid tour, getting somewhere in a taxi or an Uber will always be cheaper when splitting the fare with newfound friends – a lot more fun too.

Travel Long Distances At Night

It's one of the Backpackers Bible's oldest tricks, but long-distance coach journeys are best done at night. Coaches are cheap in Colombia, but they're even cheaper when doubling up as overnight accommodation, saving you money on a hostel for the night after lethargically departing from your journey.

Try Couchsurfing

Quirky well-priced hostels, indulgent Airbnbs for a fraction of what they'd cost back home; accommodation in Colombia is cheap, though nothing says cheap quite like free. For this reason, you shouldn't turn your nose up at Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is free and connects you with friendly, knowledgeable locals who can give you the inside scoop on the best spots in town.