Is it too risky to visit Lima for 2 months with $4,000?

Posted by joshua0005@reddit | Shoestring | View on Reddit | 44 comments

I want to visit Lima for 2 months but I only have $4k USD. This is not counting the flights and the Airbnb; I already calculated those.

For the rest of the expenses over the two months I have $4k USD. I know I only need $1.5k per month including rent and excluding flights (or at least that's what I've heard), but I'm a little afraid of running out of money.

I can eat with $10 a day unless I'm overestimating how much groceries cost (I would eat out sometimes but I can't afford to that for 63 days in a row), so probably $1k for food including eating out (and that might be a bit high) so I'd have $3k for transportation (will walk as much as possible but won't take chances if it's dangerous) and any activities I might want to do, which is definitely way more than enough.

So in theory I have nothing to worry about but I'm still a little afraid of running out of money. Am I just being paranoid like I think I am?

Also the reason I'd be in the same place for two months is because I want to relax for a bit and not have to worry about work. A mini sabbatical I suppose. December and January are the perfect months because it's very cold where I live then.

[-]

Nato7009@reddit

Dont stay in lima that long. But i spent 1.5 months in Peru and spent $1.2k including Salkantay trek, and surf camp, and a few other tours.

Absolutely leave lima though. Even if you like cities go to arequipa and cusco at the very least.

[-]

joshua0005@reddit (OP)

I guess I should not go to Peru now. Cusco is basically gringo central and Arequipa (and possibly Cusco too) are in the rainy season that time of year and I'm so tired of it raining every single day

[-]

Nato7009@reddit

Cusco is only "gringo central" in like a two block radius near where the tour guides start. Its a big city there is a lot outside of it where you can spend the whole day and see no gringos.

But yeah not the best time of year. SEA would probably be better.

[-]

joshua0005@reddit (OP)

Oh ok that's good to hear about Cusco then. Unfortunately I don't speak any Asian languages and something very important to me when traveling is that I be able to speak the local language because a big reason why I travel is to speak in other languages because where I live it's extremely hard to find people who speak when the second most spoken language (which is Spanish).

So I will be going to Latin America this time. Just not sure where. Want to go to Brazil but my Portuguese isn't good enough yet so it will be a Spanish speaking country.

[-]

respectandmanners@reddit

It’s a bit volatile there at the moment

[-]

Thinkthru@reddit

How so?

[-]

NotyetinValhalla@reddit

I live in Arequipa, you could live on half that here and we have the best food!

[-]

Key_Asparagus_5456@reddit

The exchange student my family hosted is from there. So cool

[-]

comeholdme@reddit

$1500/month for local transportation??!

[-]

joshua0005@reddit (OP)

for everything else including local transportation

[-]

comeholdme@reddit

On, I misread. Thanks for clarifying!

[-]

yyzzh@reddit

$3K for just local transportation?? Will you be hiring a limo?

[-]

Educational_Life_878@reddit

No, that's a very comfortable budget. Even eating out you can find "menu del dia" deals for like $3 w/ multiple courses.

[-]

Striking_Celery5202@reddit

That's enough to live comfortably renting a flat.

[-]

deegsmaradona@reddit

For transportation, download InDrive (Uber equivalent). My family is from Lima and we do a 2 week trip every January. I’ve taken 30 min rides on there for 10 soles (just over $2). Make sure your spanish is good enough to ask help, and avoid DOWNTOWN and Callao/the airport surrounding areas during the nighttime. Lima is an incredible city and the food is the best in the world (to me) and very affordable with that budget.

[-]

Annual-General-8774@reddit

I used to live in Lima, I wouldn’t recommend staying there that long, especially in Dec/Jan when it can still be super foggy every day. If you don’t know people there it can be unsafe to leave the touristic districts (miraflores, barranco, San Isidro and sorta San Borja). Lima isn’t like Mexico City, Santiago or Buenos Aires, it’s much less “trendy” or “alternative”, and the touristic districts are quite sanitized

Look into staying in Cusco or Arequipa. The cities outside of Cusco also have tourists doing sabbaticals/long vacations. Like Urubamba for example. Those places are beautiful. Lima is cool but it’s a foggy desert, there are no mountains and people don’t really go to the beach, especially when you’ll be there

[-]

Karoseen450@reddit

You'll be fine. Just don't be stupid with your money, go to the grocery store. Get your food and eat cheap when you can.

[-]

Tagga25@reddit

Stay in a hostel……no credit card ?

[-]

skyefoot@reddit

Couchsurf or youth hostels. If couchsurfing seems to risky then volunteer at youth hostels for free accommodation. You can WWOOF as well and contact temples, churches, ashrams for work/stay opportunities.

[-]

LittleScore7119@reddit

Bit up to and see if you can score less expensive flights and lodging

[-]

Shawodiwodi13@reddit

If you want to relax I would choose someplace else then Lima. Inside Peru I would go to Arequipa or Cusco. Besides that budget seems more than sufficient.

[-]

kedwin_fl@reddit

I traveled from Florida to Lima and left after two days. The overcast skies depressed me. The city has no subway so you have to travel by some run down bus around the city. Spend the time in Cusco . Clear skies and a Mountain View’s and close to the famous Machu Picchu. Maybe cause I was from Florida. Maybe if you are from London or Seattle you might be use to polluted overcast cities. Idk.

[-]

Virtual_Fox_763@reddit

I didn’t like Lima either. The traffic in Lima is horrible as is the public transport. There’s creepy vultures on the main cathedral and armed soldiers on the main plaza. And the stark mistreatment of working-class Limeños by the ubiquitous private security patrols in Miraflores was impossible to ignore. I booked it for Arequipa after 2 days and never looked back. Spent a great fortnight in Arequipa and the rest of the month busing around the Andes.

[-]

luciacooks@reddit

Lol at Seattle being filled with the grey fog of depression that Lima has. Not even close; their fog is white. It’s a totally different vibe.

January and February are the least foggy, and there are many options outside of Cuzco if you want to see clear skies. Arequipa has been thrown out, there’s the Cordillera Blanca which is gorgeous. Lima’s outer districts get good sun, Trujillo is nice for a change and Ica to the south has good beaches.

[-]

savehoward@reddit

Don’t stay at the airbnb. Find a local real estate agent to get great monthly to month rentals. Listings not online usually are better priced.

[-]

alsmagic7@reddit

How do you find this? Everyone wanted 1 year contract that I contacted. I lived in Airbnb for 6 months in Lima.

[-]

luciacooks@reddit

You likely won’t. Most people renting will want either a guarantee from the firm employing you or upfront Airbnb payment. Some might be willing to budge but they are rare.

[-]

red4155@reddit

If you went to Thailand for 2 months with that money you could eat out every day and you would come home with change left over. You can get a room in pattaya for 3000 baht a month.

[-]

luciacooks@reddit

Yeah LatAm is not as cheap as Southeast Asia but this is still a healthy budget unless OP is planning on going on a foodie binge to Central.

Transportation will vary depending on the district but if it is a somewhat central zone of Miraflores then 3k would amount to spending over 100 soles per day?! That would be ridiculous. Just make sure that airport taxi money is reserved.

The food budget could be higher for the area if you want to splurge but for the record $20-$30 dollars gets you a family platter at Tanta (bougie) so $10 will definitely cover a big lunch menu at a small joint. (Google menus in Spanish with the area name) Obviously people survive on less.

[-]

Infamous-Zebra-359@reddit

Is this all you have for savings because in the event of an emergency or unexpected life situation your biggest expense will be a change to your ticket home

Always make sure you have enough money to change your ticket I would say $1000 more to be safe

[-]

lnvu4uraqt@reddit

Travel insurance

[-]

joshua0005@reddit (OP)

I have another $2k that I don't want to use but of course I will if necessary

[-]