The Camino de Santiago/Way of St James is not for everyone. But those who want to walk one (or several) of the routes that lead to Santiago de Compostela often do some research and planning before they embark on their Camino adventure. If you are one of them, today’s article might be for you. We’ll be diving into the actual costs we incurred walking the Camino Portuguรฉs. While we did it at a more leisurely pace than the usual 25km/day, the daily costs would be comparable for those who travel in a similar style to us.
Travel Cost Assumptions
When reading this article, bear in mind that our travel costs are based on a couple travelling together. We are independent travellers, researching and organising our itineraries using our go-to travel planning tools. Spending-wise, we are more at the budget end of travel/lifestyle.
Our travel style is reasonably consistent wherever we go, which is excellent when you want to compare travel costs between destinations:
- Accommodation: We usually stay in self-catered accommodation (homestays, locally owned guesthouses, hostels and short-term rentals) - in our room with (preferably) a private bathroom, though the kitchen and other areas may be shared.
- Dining and Groceries: We usually eat two meals a day at home. But we like to eat out once a day or at least every few days (and prefer locally owned restaurants and small eateries away from the tourist hotspots).
- Experiences: Many of our activities are free or low-cost. When we pay for attractions or activities, we are very selective, as our funds are limited, just like everyone else's (while we're bloggers, we seldom get a free ride).
- Transportation:ย We walk a lot and useย public transportation wherever possible. Only occasionally do we hire a vehicle. The costs to enter or exit a country are not included (though we may include them for reference in the comments).
- Other: Our total daily costs also includeย mail scanning and forwarding servicesย (as we are location-independent), our mobile phone/data plans, and travel insurance - though only as they relate to the time spent at our destination.
We walked a total of 183km, combining the Camino Portugués de la Costa, Central and Variante Espiritual
We started our Camino from Caminha (on the Portuguese/Spanish border), walking a combination of the Camino de la Costa, the Camino Central and the Variante Espiritual. All up, we stayed in seventeen locations (all for one night only, except Combarro, where we stayed two nights).
Check out the map below orย read our detailed post for our entire route.
Map of Accommodation, Points of Interest, Eateries and Transport
Below is a map of the recommended accommodations, points of interest, eateries, and transport terminals or stops mentioned in this article.
Camino de Santiago Travel Costs Summary
When we did our Camino, we spent just under EUR42 per person per day. Given prices keep increasing year on year, the equivalent in 2025 would be about EUR52:
| Expense Category | Actual Costs (EUR per person per day) | Adjusted for Inflation (EUR per person per day) | Percentage of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | 17.53 | 22.79 | 44% |
| Groceries and Dining | 17.84 | 20.72 | 40% |
| Transport | 1.26 | 1.89 | 4% |
| Health | 2.92 | 3.39 | 7% |
| Other | 2.34 | 2.72 | 5% |
| Total | 41.90 | 51.52 |
But let’s talk about each expense category in more detail…
How much should you budget for accommodation in the Camino?
We slept in a variety of standards of accommodation, from dorm beds in municipal and private albergues to a 4-star hotel. We mixed it up quite a bit. Not only because albergues were not always available. Sometimes, a double room with a private bathroom costs the same as two dorm beds, and we wanted to have a good night’s sleep occasionally (which is much easier to achieve when you don’t share the room with 10+ other people).
As prices have increased since we did theย Camino Portuguรฉs, the below has been updated to reflect 2025 low-season prices:
| Day | Name | Stage | Type | Distance in kilometres | EUR Cost (for 2 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Arca Nova Guesthouse | Portoย -ย Caminha | Ensuite double | by train | 55.00 |
| 1 | Albergue de Peregrinos Municipal A Guarda | Caminhaย - A Guarda | Bunk beds in dorm | 7.9 | 20.00 |
| 2 | Albergue da Estrela | A Guarda - Viladesuso | Bunk beds in dorm | 17.0 | 72.00 |
| 3 | Hostel Albergue Baionamar | Viladesuso - Baiona | Bunk beds in dorm | 14.3 | 38.00 |
| 4 | El Retiro | Baiona - Nigrรกn | Ensuite double | 9.4 | 35.00 |
| 5 | Hesperia Vigo | Nigrรกn - Castrelos Park | Ensuite double | 15.8 | 50.00 |
| 6 | Hotel Arsus | Castrelos Park - Vigo | Ensuite double | 5.5 | 43.00 |
| 7 | Albergue Santiago de Vilavella | Vigo - Redondela | Bunk beds in dorm | 15.0 | 34.00 |
| 8 | Hostel Albergue O Meson | Redondela - Puentesampayo | Bunk beds in dorm | 9.3 | 34.00 |
| 9 | Albergue Nacama | Puentesampayo - Pontevedra | Bunk beds in dorm | 11.8 | 44.00 |
| 10 | Hotel Xeito (we stayed 2 nights) | Pontevedra - Combarro | Ensuite double | 11.5 | 55.00 |
| 11 | Mosteiro de Santa Marรญa da Armenteira | Combarro - Armenteira | Ensuite twin | 10.6 | 80.00 |
| 12 | Hostal O Legado de Ramira | Armenteira - Ponte Arnelas | Ensuite double | 13.6 | 63.00 |
| 13 | Albergue A Salazon | Ponte Arnelas - Vilanova de Arousa | Bunk beds in dorm | 11.9 | 34.00 |
| 14 | Albergue Corredoiras | Vilanova de Arousa - Padrรณn | Bunk beds in dorm | 2.9 (plus 26.8 by boat) | 36.00 |
| 15 | Albergue Da Capellania | Padrรณn - A Escravitude | Bunk beds in dorm | 7.5 | 34.00 |
| 16 | Albergue Peregrinos Milladoiro | A Escravitude - O Milladoiro | Bunk beds in dorm | 11.6 | 36.00 |
| 17 | Albergue Santiago KM-0 | O Milladoiro - Santiago | Bunk beds in dorm | 7.5 | 48.00 |
| Total | 183.1 (excluding boat) | 811.00 |
Replicating our itinerary in 2025 would cost EUR866 for 19 nights (or ~EUR23 per person per night) – with accommodation costs ranging from EUR10 (for a basic municipal albergue) to EUR40 per person per night (for a Monastery stay with an ensuite).
On the Camino, it's not always 'you get what you pay for': Two dorm beds might cost as much as a double room with your own bathroom
How much should you budget for groceries and dining on the Camino?
Proportionally, we spent more on dining out than we usually would. This was primarily because we didn’t want to carry more than snacks and water daily.
We usually had one substantial hot meal per day (typically the pilgrim’s lunch or menรบ del dรญa) and a simple, cold evening meal, often a bocadillo (a baguette sandwich) with whatever we could get our hands on – jamรณn (cured ham), queso (cheese), tomatoes, tortilla (Spanish omelette), you name it.
If our accommodation didn’t provide breakfast or we knew there would be no cafeteria/bar nearby to have breakfast, we would buy enough ingredients to make two bocadillos: one for dinner and another one for breakfast the following morning.
If you plan to cater similarly during your Camino (in 2025), budget (at least) EUR21 per person per day.
A simple bocadillo like this with tomatoes, jamon, patatas and tortilla was often our dinner on the Camino
How much should you budget for your health on the Camino?
This expense category includes the cost of our travel insurance. While arguably, not all of it would relate to our medical cover, our travel insurance costs per day might be (quite a bit) lower (than yours) given that we usually buy an annual policy. Another factor impacting your travel insurance costs would be your age (and any pre-existing conditions).
Apart from your travel insurance, other health-related expenses you may want to budget for include remedies for any blisters, chafing or injuries you may (hopefully not) experience during your Camino. While albergues (should) have a First Aid Kit, we recommend carrying a small one.
While our daily expenses in this category would equate to about EUR3.50 per person per day in 2025, health-related expenses are very subjective. So, do your sums based on your specific needs.
How much should you budget for transportation on the Camino?
In our case, these were the costs for the two boat rides involved in doing the Camino de la Costa/Variante Espiritual:
- the border ferry across the Minho River to enter Spain and
- the boat ride from Vilanova de Arousa to Pontecesures follows the route St James’ remains travelled.
While our travel cost summary does not contain any of the below (as it is very subjective), you may also want to budget for:
If you do the Variante Espiritual, budget for the boat ride from Vilanova de Arousa to Pontecesures
What other expenses should be considered for the Camino?
Bank Fees
You’re bound to incur these if you’re from a country that doesn’t use the EUR. Again, it’s very subjective as it depends on the fees charged by your bank and the bank that operates the ATM you withdraw money from. To avoid (or at least reduce) the latter, use ATMs in Portugal, France and Spain that don’t charge them. You can learn which banks charge how much using the ATM Fee Saver app.
Securing your currency needs overseas can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. We've saved a ton of money over the years simply by knowing what to do (or, more importantly, what not) and show you
- how not to get caught out by alarming FX rates and exorbitant commissions;
- how to exchange cash on your overseas trip;
- which debit/credit card is best for your overseas tripย and
- how do you avoid unnecessary fees when withdrawing cash?
If you need to transfer money to pay for your travels upfront, we can recommend Wise and XE Money Transfer (we use them interchangeably, depending on who offers the better FX rates/lower commissions).
Camino Gear
Our travel cost summary does not include any specific Camino gear (as we didn’t buy any gear specifically for the Camino). While we used our travel pack/day pack (given our location-independent lifestyle), you may want to budget for a lightweight but sturdy hiking backpack. Likewise, well-fitting, lightweight, waterproof hiking shoes and a good rain jacket/poncho are a must on the Camino. Another worthwhile investment (for your Camino and other future multi-day hikes) is lightweight, collapsible trekking poles.
Theย only costs we incurred under this category were the cost of the Pilgrim’s Passport (also calledย Credencial) and a shell for our backpacksโboth together less than EUR10 per person.
Communications
In our case, this category includesย ourย mail scanning service costsย and having a minimum credit on our mobile phones to make emergency calls and send or receive texts. We had no additional communication costs on the Camino, even though we are bloggers who continued to do at least some work. Somewhat unexpectedly, every single accommodation we stayed at had wireless internet. Some were faster than others, but all had some internet access, which allowed us to respond to messages, publish articles and provide updates on social media.
While we didn’t need it, if you want Internet access during your walk, you can get an Airalo eSIM for Portugal, France and/or Spain for less than EUR1/day.
Entry Visa
While not relevant in our case,ย depending on your passport/country of origin, you may need to consider the costs for the Schengen VisaโEUR90 per adult as ofย 2025.
Experiences
Now, we know the Camino in itself is one unforgettable experience. What we mean here are those little expenses you may incur along the Way (or after your Camino if you stay for a day or two in/around Santiago): entry fees (or donations) when you visit a museum or church, for example.
Budget some money for entrance fees and donations when you visit churches and museums on your Camino
Laundry
Yep, we all need to wash our clothes at some stage. And while some pilgrims wash their clothes by hand, at some stage, you are mostly likely to use the washing machine (or dryer) available in your albergue or a self-service laundromat in one of the towns you’re passing through. Consider EUR3-5 per load (and the same again if you use the dryer) in an albergue (slightly more if using a laundromat).
Luggage Transfer
We only used a luggage transfer service onceโbefore our actual Camino startโto get Paul’s travel pack forwarded from Caminha in Portugal to Santiago de Compostela. The equivalent costs in 2025 would be EUR35 (for one 45-litre travel pack). If you, too, are planning to walk the Portuguese Camino,ย check out Top Santiago for a quote. They have daily options,ย too.ย Correosย andย Pilbeo are other operators you could use if you’re planning to walk a different route.
If you don't want to carry your stuff on your back like a turtle, budget for luggage transfer on your Camino
How much cash should you bring with you?
Since restaurants and accommodations along the Portuguese Camino don’t always accept credit cards, you must carry cash (though not too much for safety reasons). We paid 39% of our total spend in cash (EUR). The most significant portion of that was on accommodation. ATMs are in all small towns/larger villages, so you don’t need to withdraw/exchange everything at once. Just make sure they don’t charge exorbitant withdrawal fees.
Have you done the Camino de Santiago (recently)?
What route did you walk? What did it cost you? And what other expenses would you include in a Camino travel budget? Please let me know.
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