Central America on a budget

These money-saving tips will help you save money while traveling to Central America.

With seven countries, two endless coastlines and countless attractions, Central America should be a top pick for travelers on a budget.

Taking the bus is one way to cut costs. You can use the money you save on day-to-day expenses to pay for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, such as riding the waves in Costa Rica. You could prolong your trip.

Choose the cheapest Central American countries to explore

Some countries in Central America are more budget-friendly than others. If you stay in a hostel, you can eat street food for $30 a day and take public transportation. In Costa Rica and Panama, you can expect to spend twice that.

Avoid the high season and the highest prices

During the hot, dry season from December to April, it is at its most popular and expensive, so expect peak prices over Christmas and Easter. During the hotter rainy season of May to November, you will be able to avoid crowds, as well as bag bargains on flights, accommodations and tours.

Heavy rain can make travel on rural roads difficult. Since the rains are short-lived, you usually plan around them.

Ditch domestic flights and join the locals on the bus

Domestic flights can be more expensive than international flights. You can get a lot of places by bus. Chicken buses are the most cost-effective option for short hauls. The 18-hour bus journey from San José to Panama City is the most expensive if you want to travel long distance.

If you don't have a lot of time, Mexico's Volaris offers low-cost flights to several Central American countries.

Carry the local currency

In Central America, cash is still king. Credit cards are a necessity for booking flights and accommodations in advance and are accepted in more upscale establishments, but they can be surcharged up to 15%. You can get stung on the exchange rate if you use the US dollar as your currency. Carry small bills and local currency in case the ATM doesn't work.

Bunk up in a dorm room or stay with a family

You can find a bed to suit every budget in Central America, from a hostel bunk or private room to lodging with a family with three home-cooked meals a day.

A boutique hotel with a mission is a good place to go if you want to spend a lot of money. The Good Hotel in Antigua invests in poor communities while the Hotel con Corazn puts profits back into education.

Ditch beds altogether and sleep in a hammock

hammocks are slung across verandas on the coast hammocks are a cheaper alternative to a bunk or bed, and there are hammocks in national parks where you can sleep in the jungle. You can string your hammock between two swaying palms, even if you don't own one. Don't forget to protect yourself from bugs.

Eat on the streets

Central America has some of the best eats in the world. In Honduras, vegetarian-friendly baleadas (wheat-flour tortillas filled with beans and cheese) are a good snack. The pupusa is the national dish of El Salvadorans. The cheese and loroco are native to the area.

You can find nacatamales, which are steamed parcels of corn dough filled with meat and vegetable, and vigorn, which are boiled yucca and cabbage salad wrapped in a banana leaf. If there is a queue, follow the locals to their favorite stall.

Don’t drink bottled water – filter it instead

Central America's tap water is not usually safe for drinking. With plastic pollution a huge problem across the region, you can save the environment by investing in a water-FILTER bottle before you go. You can fill up from any water source with the LifeStrawGo. It will keep you hydrated and healthy.

Drink the local tipple

Travelers should avoid imported beers and go for a local lager. Belikin, Gallo, and Toa are just a few of the countries that produce their own passable beers. Central America has a booming craft beer scene with many innovative flavors on tap.

It's possible to sip a Nica Libre for a fraction of the price back home if you choose to. You can expect top-notch caffeination the morning after in this coffee growing region.

Swap the supermarket for the local market

The market in every town has a lot of fresh, seasonal produce, as well as staple items like rice and beans. If you want to cook your own food, look for accommodations with a kitchen.

Since tours cost money, be your own guide

Sometimes you have to take a tour or use a local guide, for example volcano boarding down the black ash slopes of Nicaraguan's Cerro Negro, or traversing the trails of Costa Rica's untamed Corcovado National Park. The ornate carvings of the Copn ruins in Honduras are one of the many sights that you can explore on your own.

Learn the language in less touristy towns

You can save money if you go off the gringo trail and go to a school that teaches Spanish. The cost of a Spanish course in Antigua will be more expensive than in the city ofQuetzaltenango. With 20 hours of one-on-one tuition for around $180 a week, you can get a taste of local life and talk like a Guatemalteco.

Island life is more expensive, so head for mainland beaches

There are plenty of island idylls in Central America, with icing sugar, soft white sand, and palm-fringed sand circles. If you want to go to the island, you have to pay a higher price than if you go by plane. Placencia in Belize is one of the alternatives that can be considered.

Take a scuba-diving course in Honduras 

One of the cheapest places on the planet to learn to scuba is heavenly Utila. The average cost of a PADI Open Water course is $300, but if you shop around you can find bargains. If you go between March and May, you will be able to scuba with whale sharks.

Daily costs in Central America

Hostel dorm $7–20 Basic room for two $15-50 Bus ticket $0.25-10 Dinner for two in a local restaurant $6-20 Beer $0.85-3.50

Coffee $0.75-5