Toward the end of my first jaunt around Latin America, my money started to run out.
I’ll admit it: I planned poorly.
One of the reasons for this is due to the fact that I was totally unaware of the cost of travel between major Latin American destinations.
I’d either woefully underestimate bus or flight prices, or end up paying too much for last minute flights due to a lack of foresight (LATAM is not like Europe; flying between countries is quite expensive).
I don’t want this to happen to you.
Below, I’ve made screenshots of typical flight prices between major Latin American cities. Keep in mind that these prices will vary depending on the strength of the dollar and the time of year, but it should still provide you with some context for planning your next trip.
Let’s get into it!
What Does It Cost To Fly Between Major Latin American Cities?
*The screenshots are from 2016/2017, but I’ve checked – prices are pretty much the same for 2018 (even cheaper in some cases). I really just don’t feel like changing all of these photos. Plus, SkyScanner got rid of the feature where you can see prices for all months in a dropdown menu. The screenshots below, while old, provide a much better visual.


Mexico City to Bogota
$130 USD




Bogota to Lima




$270 USD
Lima to Santiago




$100 USD
Santiago to Buenos Aires
$100 USD
Santiago to Buenos Aires




Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro




$250 USD
Rio de Janeiro to Panama City




$700 USD
Panama City to Mexico City
$400 USD
Let’s Recap
Mexico City to Bogota = approx. $130
Bogota to Lima = approx. $270 (I know for sure this is cheaper now (2018))
Lima to Santiago = approx. $100
Santiago to Buenos Aires = approx. $100
Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro = approx. $250
Rio de Janeiro to Panama City = approx. $700
Panama City to Mexico City = approx. $400
TOTAL = $1950.00
So, if you wanted to explore Latin America starting from Mexico City and working your way south to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Santiago, you’re looking at a total flight cost of around $2000 USD.
I’ve even taken the liberty to make this extremely crappy-looking map to show you what a trip like this would look like:




No need to thank me.
Another Option…
Another option would be flying south from the United States and working your way back up north.
Let’s see what something like that might cost you:
*Note: I used New York as an example of an American city, but prices to and from these places should be more or less similar for any major city in the United States.




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New York to Rio de Janeiro
$ 530 USD




Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires
$170 USD




Buenos Aires to Santiago
$130 USD




Santiago to Lima
$120 USD




Lima to Bogota
$300 USD




Bogota to Mexico City
$160 USD




Mexico City to New York
$200 USD
Let’s Recap
New York to Rio de Janeiro = approx. $530
Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires = approx. $170
Buenos Aires to Santiago = approx. $130
Santiago to Lima = approx. $120
Lima to Bogota = approx. $300
Bogota to Mexico City = approx. $160
Mexico City to New York = approx. $200
TOTAL = $1610.00
Let’s say you want to check out Panama City instead of Mexico City.
Well that’s not going to be a problem, but it will cost you slightly more:




Bogota to Panama City
$230 USD




Panama City to New York
$270 USD
Swapping Mexico for Panama will add approximately an extra $140 to your trip.
TOTAL = $1750
…I’ll spare you the crappy map this time around.
And there you have it!
A very general idea of what it might cost you to fly to major cities in South America and Central America.
Use this as a guide for budgeting, but be sure to double check flight prices for yourself.
Last but not least, here are 4 websites I recommend for finding cheap flights to South America:
1) Skyscanner
2) Skiplagged
4) Kayak
See you down there.
Until next time,
Vance.
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