Every dollar tracked
Central America with Kids: What 57 Days Really Cost a Family of Five
June 10 to August 5, 2026: El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras with two parents and three boys. We tracked every dollar in a daily spreadsheet. Here is exactly what it cost, where we went over, and where we came in under.
All-in total
$12,913.43
57 days, family of five
Per day
~$227
for the whole family
Per person per day
~$45
all-in
Without the splurge
~$41
per person per day, minus one $1,200 day
Budget vs. actual
We planned a base budget of $10,133. We spent $11,713.43, which is $1,580.43 over, and almost all of that was transport. Food and activities came in under budget.
| Category | Budget | Actual | Over / under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lodging | $3,691 | $4,025.14 | +$334.14 |
| Food | $3,210 | $2,872.29 | −$337.71 |
| Transport | $377 | $2,048 | +$1,671 |
| Activities (without the excursion) | $2,677 | $2,040 | −$637 |
| Extras | $178 | $728 | +$550 |
| Base total | $10,133 | $11,713.43 | +$1,580.43 |
| Optional excursion (one day in Roatán) | — | $1,200 | |
| All-in | $12,913.43 |
Where we went over, and why
Transport ran about five times budget ($2,048 against $377). Tropical Storm Cristina rerouted our plan, and we split the family across two countries for a day. The story is in The Day We Split Up. Lodging and extras also ran over; food and activities came in under.
What a normal day cost
The average is pulled up by a few big days, so the typical day is a better guide. The median day cost the family $167.50 ($33.50 per person). Our cheapest quarter of days came in around $106 for the family, about $21 per person.
Cost by stop
Travel days are filed under the stop we were heading to, so read these as what each place cost us in total, not as nightly rates. Roatán was $2,527, about 20% of the whole trip, and $1,200 of that was a single private-boat day (the splurge day).
| Stop | Total cost, family of five |
|---|---|
| El Tunco / El Zonte | $956.77 |
| Ruta de las Flores | $138 |
| Santa Ana / Cerro Verde | $756 |
| Guatemala City | $198 |
| Puerto Barrios | $736.65 |
| Flores / Tikal | $827.01 |
| Lanquín / Semuc Champey | $469 |
| Cobán | $149 |
| Lake Atitlán | $1,213 |
| Antigua | $708 |
| Monterrico | $653 |
| Transfer day (Jul 19) | $283 |
| Copán Ruinas | $936 |
| Lake Yojoa / D&D Brewery | $167 |
| Puerto Cortés | $508 |
| La Ceiba | $199 |
| Utila | $1,324 |
| Roatán | $2,527 |
| Fly home | $165 |
The trip behind the numbers
- El Salvador, Part 1: El Tunco →
- Guatemala, Part 1: Guatemala City to Puerto Barrios →
- Guatemala, Part 13: Acatenango →
- Honduras, Part 1: The Day We Split Up →
- Honduras 7: Discovery Scuba Dive →
- Honduras 10: The Splurge Day →
Plan your own trip
The Central America Budget Playbook turns these numbers into a day-by-day route you can copy, plus what we would change. Join the list and we'll email you the moment it's ready, along with the free Family Trip Budget Template.
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