How Much We Spent On The Pan American Highway - February

Better late then never hey...

This month has been busy meaning this budget round up is a little late. Between heading back to Santiago to get the car ready for Bolivia & Peru and driving the Puna it seems like we have no time. Although friends from home don't seem to understand what we do all day!

The Puna was a dream, it's hard to describe and explain the landscapes we saw during our time up on the Altiplano track but it was a drive to remember.

As I am writing this we plan to head into Bolivia tomorrow, fingers crossed that helps our budget.

February 2026: Budget Email

It's time for our February Pan American Highway Budget round up!

What a month! Perhaps our favourtie on the road so far...We continued up the Ruta 40 crossing back into Santiago at Mendoza to do some jobs on the car (that's where this month's budget has gone!) before we head north into the chaos of Bolivia and Peru. Between building a shower, having a birthday and still trying to fix the electrics, it didn't leave much money in the budget for adventure.

However, this month has been nothing but adventure. We stayed in a vineyard in Mendoza with new friends and then hit the Puna. 6 days through volcanic lava fields, red rock landscapes and salt flats. 

It didn't go to plan at the start though as we sunk Yoti up to the chassis in mud and had to be rescued... at least we have good friends on the road! 

Our Journey So Far:

2 Country

15,000 kms

19% PanAm

AR Location

Click here to follow our journey on the PanAm Explorer App!

January Total: $1,853

Overall Total:$9,240 or £6,879

We've gone slightly over budget this month but we made a lot of upgrades on the car most notably a new shower which will help as we head north into the warmer climates. 

At the end of the month we also tackled the Puna, a high altiplano track in northern Argentina. This has been a highlight of the trip and can't quite believe how good it was! 

Let's break February down...

February (Chile/Argentina): 

🛏️ Accommodation: $32 (We spent 2 nights in a campsite in Santiago to make upgrades to Yoti)

🍔 Food & Drink: $445 (We had a couple of McDonalds this month, mainly as we've had dodgy stomachs!)

🚗 Petrol: $601 (Still our biggest cost)

🌋 Activities: $64 (Drinking wine in Mendoza)

🛰️ Starlink Mini: $84 (Get one month free!)

🔥 Camping Gas: $28 (Apparently this is hard to find in Bolivia)

🛣️ Parking & Tolls: $8

🛒 Shopping: $288 (Birthday presents, chairs and others bits and bobs)

☀️ Solar Fix: $28

🚿 Shower Build: $125

💪 Gym Gear: $150

Next month we cross over into Bolivia, hopefully things start to get a bit cheaper and we can manage to find petrol! 

Until next time, from somewhere along the Pan American Highway,

K & M x