How Much It Really Costs To Travel The World: A Month In Ireland!
The number one reason most people don’t travel more (especially Americans) is money. Whether for a short vacation or a lengthy galavant, escaping your everyday life to explore the world can cost you a pretty penny. That being said, it can also be mind-bogglingly affordable! Yes, you can spend thousands of dollars on a tourist trap weekend getaway, but that’s not how I like to travel (or could even afford if I wanted to!). Let’s look at a breakdown of my every expense for a month long stay in Ireland!
Local Transportation:
Bus from airport to Galway: $23.38
Bus from Galway to Cleggan (Round trip): $26.88
Ferry from Cleggan to Inishbofin (Round trip): $23.38
Bus from Galway to Dublin: $15.80
Taxi that one time $7.24
Train from Airbnb to Galway (Round trip + 1 way) $11.68
Dropped off at airport by Anthony (Priceless) $0.00
Total Transportation Cost: $108.36
Food and Drink:
Groceries for 1 month: ̶$̶1̶0̶1̶.̶2̶8̶ $0.00 (Hosts provided groceries)
Dining out 6 times (not counting ciders): $91.48
Dining out once with Hosts: $0.00
11 Ciders at various pubs: $67.81
3 Ciders bought for me: $0.00
Total Food & Drink Cost: $159.29
Activities:
irish Set Dancing: $11.69
Sightseeing (Walking/Exploring): $0.00
Total Activities cost: $11.69
Souvenirs:
Hat Pin: $2.99
Postcard: $0.00
Stamp: $1.73
Irish Pipe Tobacco (2 Tins): $57.65
Total Souvenirs Cost: $62.37
Housing:
AirBnB (4 nights): $86.77
Stay at Lacey’s Farm: $0.00
Stay with Kashi: $0.00
Total Housing Cost: $86.77
Total Money Spent in Ireland (1 Month): $428.48
That is all the money I spent in Ireland for one month. Now of course, it cost me money to get there:
Flight to Ireland (From Iceland):
$63.00
Total Cost to Travel to Ireland (1 Month): $491.48
So that’s how much a one month trip to Ireland cost me. Now of course, I have my own costs of living too (bills, etc.):
Personal Bills:
Google Fi Phone plan: $25.91
Total Cost of Living This Travel Life (1 month): $517.39
Folks, that puts my weekly cost of living at $129.35! Granted that expenses will vary by country, and unexpected costs can jump out at you from nowhere (like our unexpected Airbnb cost this time around), you have to admit that that is one low cost of living.
If there’s one financial lesson I learned in this trip, it’s that you can save A LOT of money by finding hosts that are not across the entire country from where you landed! If we had looked for a host near Dublin instead of Inishbofin, we could have saved over $100! Trains, busses, and ferry’s definitely add up!
Still think you can’t afford that vacation you want? I think that if you put your mind to it, you could not only make it happen, but also spend way less than you think you’d expect!
As always, never hesitate to reach out to me about any questions you have! Leave a comment, or contact me directly at ExploringAlexander@Gmail.com!
Stay tuned for my next update: Camping in Portugal!