Our Monthly Travel Budget Plan (Before We Leave for a Year Abroad)
How we’re planning our family travel expenses — and what we’re bracing for
The Plan: A Year Abroad With Kids… But on a Budget
We haven’t left yet, but the spreadsheets? Oh, they’ve been through it.
We’re a family of four preparing to spend a year traveling through Latin America. Two adults, two kids, one big adventure — and one question that’s followed us from day one:
“How much is this actually going to cost?”
This post is our best attempt at answering that. It’s a real, researched monthly travel budget before we leave. Based on hours of digging through forums, talking to other families, and trying to predict the unpredictable — this is the monthly budget we’ll be using as a baseline.
We’ll update it later with what actually happens… but for now, this is what we’re working with.
you don’t have to be rich you just have to be intentional.
How We’re Traveling (The Context Matters)
You can’t talk numbers without explaining how you travel. Our style? Slower, simpler, and (hopefully) more sustainable.
Here’s what we’re planning:
Region: Latin America (starting in Colombia)
Pace: Slow travel — staying 1–3 months per location
Accommodation: Airbnbs or long-stay rentals
Transport: Mainly buses and local transport; occasional regional flights
Work: Part-time remote income during the trip
Kids: Ages 5 and 8 — no school, just worldschool vibes and a lot of snacks
We’re not backpacking on $20/day, but we’re also not going luxury. We’re aiming for a balanced, family-friendly budget that prioritizes connection, flexibility, and not constantly panicking about money.
Our Planned Monthly Travel Budget (Family of 4)
This is what we’re currently estimating as our monthly cost of living while traveling:
| Category | Estimated Monthly Cost (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | $900 – $1,200 | Renting full apartments for 2–4 weeks at a time |
| Food (Groceries + Dining) | $600 – $800 | Mostly cooking at home, with the odd treat meal |
| Transport (Local + Flights) | $300 – $400 | Local buses + a few short flights |
| Travel Insurance | $150 – $200 | Still deciding on provider |
| Activities + Excursions | $150 – $300 | Cultural experiences, nature days, kid-friendly stuff |
| Internet + SIM cards | $30 – $50 | Mobile data + Wi-Fi boosters if needed |
| Subscriptions / Tools | $50 – $100 | Learning apps, cloud storage, travel apps |
| Kid Expenses (Unpredictable!) | $100 – $200 | Toys, learning gear, “we forgot the…” moments |
| Miscellaneous | $100 – $200 | Replacements, laundry, bandaids, you name it |
Estimated Total: $2,400 – $3,450/month
What’s Already Been More Expensive Than Expected
We’re still at home but some costs have already surprised us:
Gear: Even minimalist travel gear adds up fast (especially when you want it to last a year)
Vaccines + medical prep: Yellow fever, typhoid, and the joy of private clinic fees
Flight prices: Booking flexible routes is great for peace of mind… less great for the wallet
Upfront costs: Insurance, new tech (laptop upgrades), and that one packing cube we didn’t really need but ordered anyway
How We Built the Budget
This isn’t a guess it’s a patchwork of sources we’ve genuinely relied on:
Families on Reddit, Facebook groups, and forums
Travel blogs from families who’ve done similar routes
Cost of living calculators (like Numbeo + Expatistan)
Airbnb research for long-stay pricing in target cities
Our own spending habits while traveling short-term in the past
We know we’ll get things wrong. But going in with some structure helps us make decisions that don’t wreck the whole plan
What’s Still TBD
Because yes even with spreadsheets, not everything is clear-cut yet.
Here’s what we’re still figuring out:
Which travel insurance company to go with
How to balance working time vs. family time (and how that affects the budget)
What our kids will actually need over time especially learning materials
Whether we’ll end up spending more or less by moving slower
Final Thoughts (Before We’ve Even Left)
We’ll be honest: this budget might hold, or it might totally fall apart by month two. But either way, we’ll be sharing what works, what doesn’t, and what we wish we’d done differently.
Right now, this plan helps us breathe easier. It gives us a starting point. And it reminds us that you don’t have to be rich you just have to be intentional.
Coming Next:
Want to see how we’re budgeting before the trip — like, right now, with actual prep costs, savings, and sacrifices?
