Expert: Ken Rapoza Cruz - 7/31/2007

Question
QUESTION: I am traveling to Salvador in 3 weeks. I was wondering what the cost of living for 5 weeks would be, transportation, food and some travel around Brazil. I am going to travel with 1,000 USD would that be enough?

ANSWER: $1,000 is equal to around R$1,8000 and so depending on how high you plan on living, I would say that that is enough to live a working class life.  You wont be leaving Salvador on that and going to Rio unless you already paid for your tickets there and that 1k is just your spending cash. A RT fllight to Rio from Salvador will cost you around R$400. If you catch a promo, you might be able to swing a R$190 RT, but dont get yer hopes up.

Plus a hotel in Salvador, a cheap one, will cost you at least R$50 per night, which is R$350 per week. Times 3 weeks and youre looking at R$1,050 gone, giving you under R$750 for food, and other travel expenses.  

Five weeks on $1,000 is fine, if you plan on living a back packers life and hopefully can find a hotel for R$50 a night. A hotel that cheap in Salvador wont be that great, but maybe you wont mind that.

$1,000 in cash will keep you stuck in Bahia, thats for sure.  Even if you took a bus around Bahia, which is fine, to go to the beaches, youre looking at at least another R$100 in RTs.

Good luck,

Ken

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for the information. If I already have arranged a place to live while down there for the 5 weeks, will 1000USD be sufficient for some traveling and everything else?

Answer
i think so. depends how you plan on livingn down there and where you plan on traveling to. If you stay in Bahia, that will be fine.  Or if you stay in hte northeast at least. But if you plan on flying to Rio, forget it.  That money will go very quickly.