Not sure exactly where you ' re coming from . Cheapest airfare will be on spirit airlines from fort lauderdale . Depending on where you ' re returning to , you may do it overland . Most central american countries have a fee for departing by air of $ 50 or so . So your return flight may be twice the cost of your flight out , just because of taxes . Hostels will run you about $ 10 for a bed . You won ' t be bothered in many places for sleeping where you don ' t bother other people slept on a dock and an abandoned building , beautiful sunrises each time . Beer ' s about a $ 1 , chicken buses are about $ 1 for every halfhour or 50 km of travel . Don ' t rent a motorbike , hitchhike when possible , and don ' t carry anything you can ' t lose .