What does food cost on the Camino? My budget-friendly guide

My food budget on the Camino has varied a lot from trip to trip, but even when I treated myself to good food and good drinks, eating in Spain was still far cheaper than at home.

So what does food cost on the Camino? Food in Spain is inexpensive, though prices can vary oddly between local areas and tourist spots along the route. I spent around 12 to 20 euros per day, and that buys a lot of food.

Walking the Camino does not have to be expensive. Once you are on the route, your main costs are food, drink and a bed. This guide shows you how to eat well on a small budget without burning money on overhyped pilgrim menus.

How little I spent on food

It is always a good idea to carry a few snacks that survive the heat. I make sure to have nuts, muesli bars or fruit in my bag, all of which are cheap in the supermarkets along the way. It also guarantees you never end up hangry on the trail.

Here is what a typical day of eating looked like for me:

Meal	Example	Cost
Breakfast	Coffee with milk (cafe con leche), toast with butter and jam (tostada), freshly squeezed orange juice	around 3-5 euros
Lunch	Potato omelette (tortilla) or a bocadillo (sandwich)	around 1.50-2.50 euros
Dinner	Pilgrim menu (three courses with water and wine included)	around 8-12 euros

Total: around 12-20 euros per day.

One thing the Camino never lacks is places to eat and supermarkets to shop in. You can eat as simply or as generously as you like.

What is a pilgrim menu, and is it worth the money?

Many pilgrim hostels and restaurants offer a three-course pilgrim menu for around 10 euros. The quality varies, but the portions are large, rich in protein and carbohydrates, and genuinely filling after a long day of walking. Wine is included in the price.

Many pilgrims choose these menus simply because they are too tired to cook after the day’s walk. That is a bit of a shame, because I often find the food greasy and bland.

Many albergues have kitchens

At many of the places I stayed, there were decent kitchens where you could cook your own dinner. Cheap supermarkets are easy to find, so you can buy fresh vegetables and put together a good pasta dish for very little money.

If you are willing to carry your food, and perhaps some instant coffee, you can make your Camino incredibly cheap when it comes to eating. Personally I prefer to enjoy the cafes along the way, which serve wonderful coffee, good croissants and tortillas for just a few euros.

Free food from nature

One of my favourite things on the Camino was eating from the landscape itself. You walk through countless vineyards, and between August and October you can come across some truly delicious grapes.

I do not pick from the fields myself, but local Spanish walkers often handed me bunches of grapes. The kindness I met was hard to describe. Locals would toss sweet apples to me as I passed, and some even let me loose on their apple trees.

I foraged constantly

I have walked several Caminos, and what you can find varies a lot with the season. I filled small bags with blackberries, chestnuts, nuts and more. They make great snacks on the trail, and you can also bring some back to the albergue and cook with them. I became particularly fond of chestnuts, which are surprisingly easy to prepare.

Drinks and tapas

If anything will not wreck your budget, it is food and drink on the Camino. Beer and wine are cheap, and the food does not have to cost much if you take a little care.

A nice bonus: when you order beer or wine, you almost always get a small tapas snack with it. It might be crisps, olives, small pieces of tortilla or a little bowl of something local.

The Camino does not have to be expensive

Two of the things that scare people away from the Camino are the price and the distance. You do not have to walk the entire route, and you do not have to hand all your money to a travel agency. Most people spend under around 1,300 euros for a whole month, everything included, and I spent even less than that.

If you are still planning, you might also want to read about how long the Camino takes and what to pack, both in the guides section.

Cafe Spanish for when you are in trouble

Worried about ordering a coffee, a juice, a beer or a sandwich? Fear not. These few phrases will get you a long way in life, and especially on the Camino:

English	Spanish
Ham and cheese sandwich	Bocadillo con jamon y queso
Coffee with milk	Cafe con leche
Toast with butter and jam	Tostada con mantequilla y mermelada
Freshly squeezed orange juice	Zumo de naranja
A beer, please	Una cerveza, por favor
One more beer, please	Una cerveza mas, por favor
Red wine / white wine	Vino tinto / vino blanco

Remember to raise your glass now and then and toast your new pilgrim friends. Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful walk.