What We Spent Traveling for 3 Months in Baja
Over the past few years, we’ve been lucky enough to get to travel through Baja, Mexico multiple times in our truck camper and at the time of writing this, we’ve spent a total of 8 months down there over 3 different trips. Not only is the natural beauty of Baja a huge reason why we are drawn south year after year, but it’s also quite affordable to travel there. Typically we can stretch what we would normally spend in a month to last more than 2 months south of the border.
We’re sharing our full spending breakdown below, how we keep costs low, and some Baja travel tips to help you plan your own road trip whether you’re going for a week, a month, or longer!
Our Spending Breakdown
We track all of our expenses in Notion, and we calculated what we spent specifically during this 3 month trip through in Baja in early 2025.
We excluded any normal recurring bills that we’d be paying no matter where we are in the world. What’s left is the real cost of traveling and living in Baja for 3 months.
The costs below represent the total amount we spent in each category over the 3 month period.
🥑 Groceries = $1,330
A typical grocery trip would last us 7-10 days and was usually around $65 USD. We normally shop at the local Super Ley or Bodega Aurera grocery stores since they are fairly big and usually have everything we’d need. When we are in smaller more remote towns, grocery stops might just be at a small corner store for the essentials.
The one thing that we always try to make a separate stop for is fresh tortillas from local Tortillerias! Generally, tortillas are sold by the kilogram, and are about $3 USD per kg. Usually you can see the tortillas being made right there which is super fun and they are normally made with lard which makes them so damn good!
💧 Purified Water = $12
Everyone including the locals gets their drinking water from Agua Purificadoras. We just walk up to the window with our empty Dometic water containers and they sanitize and fill them with purified water. The price can vary but generally we refill our water containers for roughly $1 to $3 USD for 35L which is soo much cheaper than in the US!
Also, we ended up making friends with the guys at Purificadora del Rio who are so friendly, provide great service, speak English and also let us practice our Spanish!
🌮 Eating Out = $1,079
We ate out roughly twice per week to get tacos because, when in Mexico…! Our typical order of 6 tacos and 2 beers normally came out to $14 USD for both of us which feels like such a steal! On occasion when visiting more touristy towns, going out to eat can cost more depending on the restaurant. We try to keep the spendy restaurants to a minimum, but sometimes the food is worth it!
⛽ Gas = $1,110
Gas prices were about the same as in the U.S. but its almost always full-service. When we pull into a gas station we stay in the truck, turn the engine off and say “lleno con regular por favor”. We always pay with our card but be sure to have Mexican cash on hand to tip your gas attendant (10 - 20 Pesos or roughly $1 USD).
🛻 Mexican Auto Insurance = $389
Since US (or Canadian) auto insurance won’t cover you in Mexico, you need to get Mexican auto insurance when driving through Baja. We have been using Baja Bound Insurance for the past 3 years and its super easy to get set up on their website and they’ve got lots of helpful resources.
🎫 Mexican Tourist Visas = $84
When you cross the border you’ll need to stop and show your passport and pay for a tourist visa (FMM) which can be good for up to 180 consecutive days. In January 2025, we paid about $42 per person for our FMMs.
⛺ Camping/Lodging = $156
In the 3 months we spent in Baja this trip, we only stayed in established campgrounds 8 nights. We generally prefer to be out in the middle of nowhere but occasionally staying at a campground can be more convenient and even
Paraíso Misional in San Ignacio, BCS
Misiones RV Park in Ciudad Constitución, BCS
👕 Full Service Laundry = $40
When going for a longer trip, you’ll eventually need to do laundry. In Baja, full service laundry is the most common solution and we love it! It feels like such a luxury to drop off your laundry and pick it up a few hours later, clean, neatly folded and smelling deliciously fresh! In general we only paid about $10 USD per load. A few of our favorite spots are Lupita’s in Mulegé and Lavandería la Rana in Loreto.
🐶 Vet Bills = $576
Unfortunately our pup Greta had to visit the vet multiple times while we were in Baja to get antibiotics and once to get blood work and x-rays done. This certainly not a typical expense for us while in Baja but was notably cheaper than what we pay to see vets in the US.
🛒 Misc. = $80
We bought a few small gifts for friends back home and for ourselves but since we live and travel in our truck camper, we have very little room for extras so we keep the miscellaneous shopping to a minimum.
We also refilled our 5lb propane tank for only $4 USD after cooking with it for roughly 3 months!
Pro Tips
💳 Bring a travel-friendly credit card with no foreign transaction fees.
Wherever possible, we use our Capital One Venture credit card since we earn points and it doesn’t have any foreign transaction fees. We used it on our trip primarily to buy the bigger ticket items like groceries and gas.
🇲🇽 Always carry Pesos
Make sure you have Mexican Pesos before you cross the border since many rural places only accept cash.
Several weeks before we left the US we ordered 20,000 MX Pesos (~$1,000 USD) through our bank which lasted us for nearly 3 months. We spent this cash primarily on eating out and campground stays and saved a ton on foreign ATM fees.
Please don’t plan on paying with US cash—it can be seen as disrespectful and is inconvenient for locals.
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One of the biggest ways we save money is by camping for free in remote, wild areas. Baja is full of stunning beach camps and desert hideouts where dispersed camping is legal and easy.
We do occasionally pay for camping to:
Be close to town
Get access to a real shower 🚿
Support local campgrounds we love like Paraíso Misional in San Ignacio or at Misiones RV Park in Ciudad Constitución
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We cook most of our meals ourselves, using fresh, affordable ingredients. Produce is super cheap in Mexico, and we’re often able to make healthy, tasty meals without spending much at all.
That said, one of the joys of Baja is the food, so we definitely budget for tacos, seafood, beers, and mezcalitas when we want to treat ourselves, but its still a whole lot more affordable than back in the US!
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There’s a big connection between how fast you travel and how much you spend. We tend to move slowly, stay in places longer, and explore more rural areas, which all help cut costs naturally. The slower we go, the longer we can stretch our budget. And the longer we stay in one place, the more we get to actually experience it.
Some of our favorite places in Baja are way off the beaten path—literally down long, dusty dirt roads. But for us, those places often turn out to be the most rewarding... and the cheapest.
Final Thoughts
Baja is an amazing destination for budget-conscious travelers, especially if you’re open to wild camping, cooking your own meals, and exploring slowly. Whether you’re in a van, a truck camper, or even just road tripping with a tent, you can have an incredible time here without breaking the bank.
Got questions about planning a trip to Baja or how to budget for it? Drop them in the comments or shoot us a message—we’re always happy to share what’s worked for us!
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