Many people wonder how much it costs to walk the Camino de Santiago. And it is a very legitimate question, taken into account that this is a very long journey.
The good news is – it is really affordable, not to say cheap, considering it lasts well over a month. However, Camino de Santiago costs can vary from less than 20 euros per day to more than 50 euros per day.
Costs depend on the Camino route you take as well as the comfort level and food options you choose.
Accommodation costs
The first consideration is always accommodation. The chain of albergues on Camino de Santiago trails is very well developed all along the route, and this is where you will mostly sleep. The concept is of a hostel, so no private rooms and no privacy.
Albergue accommodation prices
But the bed you pay is from 6 till 10 euro, and that’s it! It might happen that you stumble here and there on an albergue that works on „donativo“ system. It is theoretically free, but you should give a donation.
Private room costs
Private rooms in many hostels, through Booking.com, Airbnb, or other platforms cost from 27 to 47 euros per night. The cheaper versions come with a common bathroom, while the more expensive version would be with a private bathroom in the rooms.
Food costs
Another major issue is eating, and the good news is that there are „menu peregrino“ all along the Camino de Santiago route. You should look no further than a “menu peregrino”.
It is really a very good deal that costs mostly 10 euro, but sometimes in bigger cities goes up to some 13 euro.
This is a three-course meal including the dessert, with several options for each course, including almost always fish and salads for vegetarians. Plus, there is always bread, water, and wine included. So, it is really a very good deal.
Most people have the menu Peregrino for dinner. Many pilgrims decide to have the menu Peregrino for both lunch and dinner.
Typical Spanish meals
As much as the menu Peregrino is a really good deal, it would be still a good idea to splash out sometimes for typical Spanish meals like tapas, Paella, Pulpo Gallego, pinxchos, and similar feasts, say in Pamplona, Logrono, or Santiago.
These cities have an amazing and very extensive restaurant scene, and it would be a pity to be in Spain and not taste authentic Spanish food in Spain.
Where to get breakfast on Camino de Santiago routes
Breakfast is almost never served at albergues, and usually, you have your breakfast at the first stop. That would be a few kilometers from where you slept. Coffee is between 1 and 1.30 euros, and a croissant or some similar pastry would be also around 1 or 2 euros.
Lots of people take a sandwich for lunch at a coffee shop, which is around 4 euro, but if you buy the food at a supermarket, you can go cheaper.
Food prices in grocery stores
Buying food at the grocery store is an excellent idea to reduce the overall Camino de Santiago costs. Even the smallest villages have some sort of a grocery store, with all the basic items you need.
You spend less than 5 euro for bread, salami, an apple, a yogurt, and similar items for a cold meal. Many albergues have a communal kitchen, in which case you can have a cooked meal, with the items that you bought at the grocery.
It is however imperative that you check that the albergue where you stay has a kitchen.
Transportation costs
A high cost turned out to be the train from Paris to Saint Jean Pied de Port, which cost 130 euro one way.
Bus ticket prices
If you want to skip some sections on the Camino, then, of course, you should take into consideration the public transportation between the two cities, which is usually bus. It is always around 20 euros for shorter intercity rides.
Taxi costs on Camino de Santiago routes
Some pilgrims prefer to send their backpacks by taxi, and each time the cost is 5 euro. And, if you want to rent a bike to do some sections by bike, then, of course, there is the bike’s cost.
Other Camino de Santiago costs
Basically, you can do your day for some 25 – 30 euro, but that would mean that you would deprive yourself of an afternoon or an evening beer or drink. And a beer, sangria, a cup of wine would cost from between 2.50 and 4 euro.
Laundry cost on Camino de Santiago trail
This budget would also mean that you do your laundry by yourself. And that is perfectly doable since all albergues have a sink for washing and ropes for drying clothes.
However, you do depend on the weather conditions. If you want to wash and dry your laundry in a laundromat, it is 3 or 4 euros for each washing and for each drying cycle.
Various entrance fees
Here and there, there is something interesting along the way on Camino to visit that you have to pay entrance for, like a cathedral or a museum.
The good thing is that with the pilgrim’s passport you can almost always get a discount. The top three attractions with tickets to pay for on the Camino Frances are the cathedrals in Burgos and Leon, and the museum of evolution in Burgos.
All in all, you could theoretically do the entire Camino de Santiago for under 1000 euro, but that would mean that you never have an evening drink, don’t treat yourself on a hot day with an ice-cream, and would generally mean a spartan way of living for over a month.
Camino de Santiago daily budgets
If you have a daily budget of some 40 – 50 euro, then you can enjoy the entire Camino walk much more. In this case, you do not need to pay attention to what you eat, you can often treat yourself with drinks and be carefree moneywise.
You would still sleep in dormitories, but occasionally you can take a private room, say once every 5 days. If you travel with somebody, or if you meet people on the Camino with whom you could share a private double room, then you could go even more often to private rooms.
If you go to private single rooms, live a normal life on your Camino, your daily budget will be around 70 – 80 euros. In this case, you don’t deprive yourself of absolutely anything, you have very high comfort, and all this for way cheaper prices than you would pay elsewhere when you travel.
Camino de Santiago insurance cost
Insurance is another very important thing to have when traveling abroad, and especially so if you are not from a European Union country.
While citizens from the European Union countries can for the most part take advantage of the Spanish health systems for free, there are still occasions where you have to pay money, and sometimes hefty sums, too.
Often you have to participate in the costs of the hospital or of the medicines that doctors prescribed. And non-EU citizens have to cover all the costs of medical treatment.
So, in any case, it a good idea to have insurance with a good coverage plan. When you have one, even though you will still need to pay for the medical services that you took advantage of, when you come back home, you will be refunded.
Conclusion on Camino de Santiago cost
This article is the roundup of Camino de Santiago cost. But then there is to be taken into consideration the transportation, as well as preparations at home. Read about my day by day Camino de Santiago experience or my practical Camino Frances tips to get a better picture of costs.
A good sleeping bag, high-quality shoes, and a good backpack are your absolute top priorities to think about – you are going to use it every single day.
It is important to pay attention to the good quality of those items because in the other case, it could make you and your Camino a very miserable experience. Other items, like hiking socks, t-shirts, caps, hats, ponchos, trousers, etc, you could live with it even if they were of lower quality.
If you are on a really tight budget and you do the Camino in the summer month, consider a hammock. That’s how you can spend the night for free.
Some also bring along their tents. And then some again sleep in their sleeping bank next to a river. Everything is free. And people do this, I met them on my Camino Frances, and we discussed their ways.
Of course, you don’t want to do this every night, but here and there could be just fine.