How Much We Spent On The Pan American Highway - November

Wow, what a month! We have made tracks down the Carretera Austral a famous half paved half track road running down southern Chile.

We also managed to stick to our budget which feels pretty good considering how much over we went in October. A couple of things that have helped us include mainly wild camping, cooking all our meals and this Blog! It’s crazy to think that something I started three years ago is now part of my everyday life — and helping us move closer to our travel goals.

This month we were lucky to work with two brands along the Carretera Austral, 99% Adventurer where we kayaked the Marble Caves and BPA where we rafted down the Rio Baker. Both incredible experiences that without the blog we may not have done.

One day, we hope the blog can help cover our travel expenses, but for now we’re still on a strict budget. So… let’s get into it.

November 2025: Budget Email

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

Hitting one of the most expensive legs of the trip first is a bit daunting... and Patagonia is known to empty a few wallets! 

Luckily, this month we found some wonderful free hikes among the more expensive trails like Cerro Castillo. 

We also carefully planned our meals although when you're as remote as Villa O'Higgins there's not much choice... hello hotdogs!

We have just finished the Carretera Austral, 1,247km of dirt road, one horse towns and a few good views and we're happy to report we're back on budget. 

Although I don't know how long it will last with Christmas coming up...

Our Journey So Far:

1 Country

4,041 kms

12% PanAm

CL Location

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

November Total: $1,445

Let's break it down...

November (Chile):

🛏️ Accommodation (We did two campsites this month): $33

🍔 Food & Drink: $342

🚗 Petrol: $573

🌋 Activities: $146 (National Park fees, the ferries to and from Chiloe and the ferry at the start of the Carretera Austral)

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

🏧 ATM Fees: $10

📱 Phone Data: $5 

🛒 Shopping: $100 (A mixture of stuff from Decathlon, camping gas, laundry and a yoga mat)

🛣️ Tolls: $9 (So much better than last month!) 

⚡Smart Shunt: $140 (Now we can finally see how much charge we have)

This month we were much closer to our budget... thank god! With expensive Patagonian prices we think we've done pretty well! 

As we look into December we excitedly have the TABSA ferry, Tierra del Fuego and Christmas to look forward too!

What are other travellers doing for Christmas? It's our first Christmas away from home so we're unsure how we're going to feel.

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

K & M x