How Much Money I Spent in Iceland as a Solo Traveler

Here’s why I spent so much in Iceland

“Woah!!! Aren’t you usually chasing deals? Wtf happened?” 😳

Thought I’d save you the trouble of making that comment. 😂 The answer is usually a resounding YES, but on my Iceland trip – not so much! 🤷🏽‍♀️ Here’s why 👇

1) It was a gift to myself 🎁
This was the FIRST trip I took solo internationally, and it was right after leaving my 9-5 to pursue my dream of being a full-time content creator! I decided from the get-go that if I was going to do something *so* out of my ordinary, I was going to go all out!

2) I paid my trip over time ⏰
It’s actually unheard of for me to book a trip 8 months in advance, but this one was! 👏🏽 The nice thing about having so much time is paying little amounts of $$$ booking things over a span of months, instead of all at once. It added up, but it was less painful because I paid for the trip over time – “payment plan” style. 🙏🏽

3) Iceland is expensive 🥵
Part of it is actually unavoidable! Iceland is one of the top 10 most expensive countries in the world. 😬 It isn’t a budget traveler’s destination by nature (although with some finessing, it could be). I did, however, find a $400 flight deal & paid with points!

4) I avoided hostels
The cheapest way to stay here is in a hostel (followed by camping)! 🏨 Personally, I wanted my own space not knowing how a solo int’l trip would feel. Since the single rooms were all sold out in hostels, I booked hotels. If I went with someone, that cost would be split in 1/2! 🥴 Which brings me to my next point…

5) I went alone 👧
Solo travel doesn’t have to be expensive❗️But in Iceland, it can be. I couldn’t have imagined visiting without a car rental (which means gasoline $$ too). ⛽️ I paid over $1,000+ for my hotels and airbnbs! 🤯 I checked other solo traveler’s cost breakdowns & some were even higher. 🥴

6) I sat down for meals 🥘
Sky’s the limit when it comes to restaurant prices. 🥵 Brekky could be between $20-30, lunch $20-35, & dinner $35-50. Two sit down meals in one day could easily be $90-100. Some days I just had gas station food!

Transparency is 🔑 here, & honestly I’d do it again.

Share on: