Total cost of round the world cycle

Ever wondered how much it would cost to cycle the world?  I had exactly the same thought as I set about planning my own world cycle trip.  The table below indicates the total cost that I paid to get to the start line of my round the world cycle.  The first 9 items indicate the final price that I paid for each category.  I will update the other costs as I incur them.

For a full breakdown of the costs associated with each category please click on the item name to open a separate page and then scroll down to the relevant information:

ItemCost
Bike
£1089
Bike accessories£141
Racks, panniers and Dry Bags£528
Camping Equipment£624
Cooking Equipment£184
Electricals£460
Cycle Wear£287
Clothing£152
Vaccinations£152
Visas£265
Insurance£250
Total Cost£3980

When I set about planning this trip the figures that I had in my head were that the bike set up would cost around £1500, and all of the kit and camping equipment that I had to buy would add an extra £2000 to bring the total cost to around the £3500 mark.  I had then budgeted a further £1500 to account for the additional price of the vaccinations, medical insurance, visas and flights.  This puts the figure that I thought it would cost me to get to the start line of this cycle trip at around £5000.

The actual total cost when I have added in the final flights will be just over £6000.  This is higher than the ball park figure that I had estimated, but as I had not cut any corners on the specification of the bike or equipment, and even added a few ‘luxury’ items,  then I am happy with this price.

When I set off from HCMC on the 4th of July 2016,  I will update the actual costs to the flights, visas and accommodation as I incur them.  Once I have completed my cycle I hope to have a truer picture of the total cost that is associated with a 12 month world cycle tour adventure; my estimate is that the whole trip will cost around £8000.

I think that the final thing that needs to be considered when looking at the costings though is that this is not just the price of a single round the world cycle; all of the equipment was purchased from new and I expect the majority of it to be still in full workable condition for a fair few cycling trips after this one.  So effectively, the core price for the bike and equipment of £3500 gives me the necessary set up for fully self sufficient cycling tours over the next 5 years or so without, hopefully, the need to incur any further major expenses. I think in these terms that the price paid is perfectly reasonable.

So how much does it actually cost to cycle the world?
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