Here’s How Much I Spent Traveling the World in 2023/2023年我全球旅居开销和分析报告
Traveling, Dating, and Living My Best Life — Unveiling the Secrets to an Affordable Adventure Across South America/旅行、约会与精彩生活 — 揭秘在南美洲享受经济实惠冒险的秘诀
It’s time for me to sum up my spending during my travels around the world in the past year.
In 2023, I was deep into exploring South America. I traveled a lot, went on dates, and enjoyed a really fulfilling life. Now, let’s take a closer look at where my money went:
2023 Recap:
- Google Timeline says I visited five countries — Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Mexico, and Guatemala. Explored over 90 cities, including places like Salvador, Recife, Pipa Beach, Natal, Fortaleza, Jericoacoara, Joao Pessoa, Gramado, Antigua Guatemala, Tulum, Merida, San Cristobal, Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido, Puebla, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Medellin, Cali, and Asuncion.
- Besides the travel adventures, I kicked off my own journey as an entrepreneur, creating content and making some solid progress.
- I learned and got pretty good at Portuguese and Spanish, reaching a decent level in Portuguese (around B1 to B2).
- Had some great romantic experiences with double-digit girls from these countries.
- Did volunteer work in three countries, making loads of friends along the way.
- Focused on staying in shape and getting better at playing the guitar.
Bellow are the detailed analysis:
Accommodation costs have dropped to nearly 40% of my total expenses
I’ve always considered privacy more important than saving money, so in Brazil and Colombia, I mainly chose to rent from Airbnb. Surprisingly, accommodation costs have decreased compared to 2022.
Living and traveling in Brazil isn’t as expensive as commonly thought. The highest accommodation cost occurred in March when I rented a two-bedroom apartment in the most expensive area of Florianopolis. Thanks to the strategies I learned (check the like below), it only cost me 700 dollars, providing convenience and privacy for a wonderful time. The total expenditure in March was 1000 US dollars.
Volunteering in three different countries helped cut accommodation costs, feeling like I saved at least one month’s expenses. Pretty good, right?
Although continuous travel can incur significant expenses, staying in one place is surprisingly cost-effective. In 2023, I reduced travel frequency compared to 2022, avoiding unnecessary expenses when exploring new places. The only time I increased accommodation expenses was when I stayed in Guadalajara for a week. Unlike 2022, where I spent more in Buenos Aires, Bolivia, and Ecuador due to limited knowledge of those places, this year, I usually stayed in familiar locations, avoiding expensive traps.
Travel costs moved up to second place
Surprising, right? Even though I didn’t travel as much in 2023 as I did in 2022, the expenses went up. Wondering why?
Well, in 2022, I had lots of South American countries waiting for me to visit, so I used buses and trains, going straight from one country to another without any detours. But in 2023, since I’d already explored most countries, I chose only a few to revisit or discover. That meant more flying, especially in big countries like Brazil, where I wanted to see new places, and it’s quite far, so flying was the only option.
Imagine travel costs are like finding a parking spot. When many spots are open, it’s quick to find one. But when lots of cars are around and only a few spots remain, just like exploring many places and needing a new one, discovering the perfect spot takes more time (money).
Grocery expenses came in third place.
I always stick to grocery shopping and maintain a high-protein diet. Here are some tips for this routine:
- In Brazil, go for all-you-can-eat buffets — they’re affordable and offer a variety of steak and chicken.
- For Colombia, cooked chicken is a pocket-friendly and nutritious option.
- In Mexico, fish is relatively inexpensive, making it a good choice.
- In Guatemala and Paraguay, eggs and chicken legs are convenient and budget-friendly. Not surprising at all!
Shopping has climbed to the fourth position.
Shopping takes the fourth spot in my expenses this year, totaling over 800 USD. The increase is due to my solo entrepreneurial journey, requiring investment in digital equipment, especially a camera for on-location shooting.
I bought a $40 JD camera in Iguazu, but unfortunately, it broke a few months later. Later, I spent more 500 USD on an Insta360 Go 2, which I’ve been using since then. These expenses are necessary for creating content.
Food and drinks took the fifth spot
Food and beverage expenses rank fifth, making up only 6% of my total spending, slightly lower than 2022.
This is mainly due to my lifestyle choices — I don’t drink, smoke, or use medication, saving me a considerable amount and helping avoid negative situations.
I usually dine out with friends for social reasons. The only exception was in Brazil, where I frequently ate out because the buffets were both abundant and affordable. Living there for six months didn’t significantly impact the overall cost of dining out, contrary to common expectations.
Dating expenses have also seen a decrease.
Dating, a form of essential entertainment and adventure for me, cost me approximately $600. The decrease in expenses can be attributed to a few factors:
- In 2023, I tended to reside in one place for extended periods, resulting in couple of brief relationships lasting 1 to 2 months. This meant a lower frequency of dating compared to the more frequent dates in 2022.
- Spending six months in Brazil revealed a trend where girls were inclined to share expenses, contributing to my cost savings.
- Similarly, staying in Mexico for a month and a half introduced me to friendly and caring girls, making my dating experiences more budget-friendly and enjoyable.
Entertainment was a big part of my travels.
I made sure to visit famous tourist attractions and attend classic events. I explored places like the volcanoes in Guatemala, Morro de Sao Paulo, and Jericoacoara.
When I mention entertainment, I’m mainly talking about the costs associated with visiting these attractions, such as entry fees for places like the volcanoes in Guatemala.
Transportation expenses
Transportation expenses took care of getting around within a city or place using public buses, metros, or taxis. Long-distance bus costs were considered part of travel expenses and weren’t listed separately.
By learning how to use local public transportation instead of relying solely on Uber, I managed to spend only around $500 for the entire year. I also explored more budget-friendly ride-sharing apps like InDrive or 99, in addition to utilizing Uber’s moto services.
My expenses went up because I stayed longer in each place, using public transport more frequently compared to 2022.
Beauty and Heath
For beauty and health, I spent over 200 USD.
This covered essential items like condoms (always a must), fees for haircuts to stay fresh, and medicines when needed.
I had a couple of accidents, like getting attacked by street dogs, and needed an STD test. Fortunately, being in Brazil meant I didn’t have to pay anything for any of them.
Certainly, staying fit is always free for me.
House utilities
House utilities cost me only 748 RMB, mostly covering cell phone data expenses.
I usually went for the cheapest plan with minimal internet access because I only needed data for essential tasks like calling a taxi. My decision wasn’t solely about saving money; it was more about prioritizing a life beyond constant internet engagement, avoiding unnecessary browsing on platforms like TikTok or other online activities.
So, the total cost for all these experiences in the past year is just under 87,000 yuan. Quite surprising, right? Despite significant investments in shopping and the so-called inflation, the overall expenses have slightly decreased compared to 2022.
The main reason is that I stayed in one place longer, whether it was in Colombia (Pereira, Medellin) or in Brazil (Natal, Florianopolis).
Here are the expense details from January to December, with the countries I stayed in mentioned in parentheses. You can clearly see that staying in Brazil didn’t significantly increase the overall expenses:
5937, 7887 (Colombia)
7000, 6390, 11356 (shopping 4600), 7600, 5500, 8376 (Brazil)
4900 (Brazil + Paraguay)
8700 (Paraguay + Colombia)
5471 (Colombia + Mexico)
7456 (Mexico + Guatemala).
The following are the details of expenses:
In total, my spending for 2023 was around 86,840 RMB. This amount might surprise many, given the quality of life, adventures, and memorable stories I experienced. I planned for this and found it significantly less than expected.
I believe that financially, most people could afford this lifestyle. However, the limitations on the freedom to travel might be a barrier for many, preventing them from embracing such a lifestyle.
又到了我总结过去一年环球旅行的开销的时间了。
2023年，我仍然沉浸在南美洲的探索之中。在这段时间里，我进行了大量旅行、约会，享受了充实的生活。现在，让我们一起详细了解我的花费情况：
2023年总结：
- 根据谷歌时间线，我去了五个国家 — 巴西、哥伦比亚、巴拉圭、墨西哥和危地马拉，探索了超过90个城市，如萨尔瓦多、累西腓、皮帕海滩、纳塔尔、福塔莱萨、杰里科阿科阿拉、若昂佩索阿、格拉马多、安提瓜瓜地马拉、图卢姆、梅里达、圣克里斯托瓦尔、瓦哈卡、波多埃斯孔迪多、普埃布拉、瓜达拉哈拉、墨西哥城、麦德林、卡利和亚松森。
- 除了旅行外，我还开始了我的个人创业之旅，创作内容并取得了实质性的进步。
- 我继续强化葡萄牙语和西班牙语，终于在葡萄牙语上也达到了相当不错的沟通水平（B1到B2级别）。
- 我和这些国家的超过两位数女孩度过了美好的浪漫时光。
- 我在三个国家做了志愿者工作，并一路上交了很多朋友。
- 我致力于保持身材和提高吉他弹奏技巧。
以下是详细的分析：
住宿下降到了我花费的近40%。
我一直将隐私看得比省钱更重要，因此在巴西和哥伦比亚时，我主要选择从Airbnb租房。令人惊讶的是，与2022年相比，住宿费用有所降低。
巴西的生活和旅行并不像人们普遍认为的那样昂贵。我的最高住宿费用出现在三月份，当时我租了一间两卧室的公寓，位于弗洛里安波利斯最昂贵的地区。多亏了我从这里学到的策略，这仅花费了我5,000元，为我提供了便利和隐私，让我度过了美好的时光。三月份的总花费是7200元人民币。
在三个不同的国家做志愿工作有助于削减住宿费用，感觉就像我至少省下了一个月的开支。相当不错，对吧？
尽管持续旅行可能开销较大，但实际上留在一个地方是出奇地经济实惠的。2023年，我减少了与2022年相比的旅行频率，避免了在新地方探险时不必要的花费。我唯一增加住宿开支的时候是在瓜达拉哈拉待了一个星期。与2022年不同，那年我在布宜诺斯艾利斯、玻利维亚和厄瓜多尔因为对这些地方了解不多而花费较多。而今年，通常我待在我已经熟悉的地方，所以不再陷入那些昂贵的陷阱。
旅行费用上升到第二位
有点惊讶，对吧？尽管2023年我的旅行次数不如2022年频繁，但费用却上升了。想知道为什么吗？
嗯，在2022年，有很多南美国家等待我去访问，所以我使用陆地交通，直接从一个国家移动到另一个国家，没有绕道。然而，在2023年，由于我已经探索过大部分国家，只选择了一些我想重新访问或全新发现的国家。因此，飞行变得不可避免。即使在像巴西这样的一个国家，由于我想查看新的地方，而且它已经相当远，所以飞行是不可避免的。
旅行费用的增加就像停车场停车一样。当有很多停车位可用时，找到一个位置很快。但当有很多汽车而只剩下很少的停车位时，就像访问许多地方并需要找到一个新地方时，找到完美的地点需要更多的时间(金钱)。
杂货费用排名第三
我一如既往地选择购物，并保持高蛋白饮食。以下是这种日常的一些建议：
- 在巴西，选择自助餐厅，它们价格实惠，提供各种牛排和鸡肉。
- 对于哥伦比亚，熟鸡肉是一个经济实惠且有营养的选择。
- 在墨西哥，鱼相对便宜，是一个不错的选择。
- 在危地马拉和巴拉圭，鸡蛋和鸡腿是方便和经济实惠的。一点也不令人惊讶！
购物排名上升到了第四
购物今年在我的开支中排名第四，总计超过5600元人民币。增加的原因是我的独立创业之旅，需要投资于数字设备，尤其是实地拍摄的摄像机。
我在伊瓜苏购买了一台40美元的JD相机，但不幸的是，在几个月后就坏了。后来，我花了3600元人民币购买了一台Insta360 Go 2，自那时以来一直在使用。这些费用是我创作内容的必要开支。
食品和饮料排名第五
食品和饮料排名第五，仅占我总支出的6%，较2022年略有减少。
这主要是由于我的生活方式选择-我不喝酒、不吸烟、不用药，这为我节省了大量的钱，并帮助我避免负面情况。
我通常只与朋友一起出去吃饭是出于社交原因。唯一的例外是在巴西，由于那里的自助餐厅丰富而价格实惠，我经常外出就餐。在那里生活了六个月，并没有像人们想象的那样影响外出就餐的整体成本。
约会的开销也有所下降
约会对我来说是一种不可缺少的娱乐和冒险的形式。我在约会上花费了大约600美元。花费下降的原因包括：
- 在2023年，我通常选择在一个地方长时间居住，因此我与几个女孩保持了一些持续1到2个月的短暂关系，这意味着我在约会方面的频率没有像2022年那样高。
- 在巴西度过了六个月，我发现那里的女孩倾向于分享费用，这有助于我节省开支。
- 同样，在墨西哥停留了一个半月，女孩们也非常友好和关心，使我的约会经验更加经济实惠和令人愉快。
娱乐
娱乐在我的旅行中占据着重要的位置。
我确保参观著名的旅游胜地和参加经典活动是很重要的，比如我探访了瓜地马拉的火山、圣保罗的莫罗角以及热里科阿科阿拉等地。
提到娱乐，我主要指的是参观这些景点所需的费用，例如参观瓜地马拉火山的门票费。
交通费用
包括在城市或地方内使用公共汽车、地铁或出租车的费用。长途巴士费用被视为旅行费用的一部分，没有单独列出。
通过学习如何在当地使用公共交通，而不是一直依赖Uber，我全年只花费了约500美元。我还尝试了比Uber或出租车更便宜的拼车应用程序，如InDrive或99。还有Uber上的摩托车服务。
由于我在每个地方停留的时间更长，所以与2022年相比，我的支出增加了，因此我更频繁地使用公共交通工具。
美容和健康方面的费用
总共超过1600元人民币。
这包括必需品，如避孕套（始终使用）、理发费以保持清新形象，以及在需要时购买的常用药品。
我遇到了一些意外，比如被街狗袭击，并接受了性病检测。幸运的是，在巴西时，这一切都是免费的。
当然健身对于我来说永远免费。
家庭公用事业方面
开支仅为748元人民币，主要涵盖手机流量费用。
我通常选择最便宜的计划，只提供最低限度的互联网接入，因为我只需要用于打电话叫出租车的数据。我的决定并不仅仅是为了省钱，而更是为了优先考虑超越互联网参与的生活。
总结
那么，这一年所有这些经历的总花费不到每年87,000元。相当出乎意料，对吧？与2022年相比，尽管购物有显著的投入和所谓的通货膨胀，但总的开销额略有减少。
主要原因是我在一个地方停留的时间更长，无论是在哥伦比亚（佩雷拉、麦德林）还是在巴西（纳塔尔、弗洛里安波利斯）。以下是从一月到十二月的花费细节，括号内是我在那段时间内停留的国家。你可以清楚地看到，呆在巴西并没有显著增加总体花费： 5937、7887（哥伦比亚） 7000、6390、11356（购物4600），7600、5500、8376（巴西） 4900（巴西+巴拉圭） 8700（巴拉圭+哥伦比亚） 5471（哥伦比亚+墨西哥） 7456（墨西哥+危地马拉）
以下是开销细节：
总体而言，我在2023年的开支大约是86,840元人民币。考虑到我所经历的生活品质、冒险和难忘的故事，这个数字可能会出乎许多人的意料。我也发现开支比我预期的要低。 我相信从财务角度来看，大多数人都能够负担这样的生活方式。然而，由于无法随意旅行的限制，许多人可能难以拥抱这种生活方式。