The Costs of Volunteering Abroad
It’s expensive to volunteer abroad.
The biggest costs for a volunteer abroad program are typically
the International Airfare and Program Fee
paid to the Volunteer Abroad Organization (VAO).
Typical Costs to Volunteer Abroad
- International Airfare
- Program Fee paid to VAO
- Visa
- Travel Insurance
- Visit to Travel Doctor / Vaccinations
- Daily transport from host family to volunteer job
- Medical Bills
- Internet Access
- Phone calls back home and locally
- Extra Sightseeing
- Meals Outside Host Family
- Return Transport from Volunteer Location to airport
- Accommodations last night in-country
Program Fees Typically Cover
- Pretrip Guide
- Pretrip Phone Support and Guidance
- Assistance with Visa Process
- Airport Pickup
- In-country Orientation
- Transport to Program Site
- Introduction to Host Family and Program
- Placement and Supervision in Program
- Meals & Accommodations
- 24-hour Emergency Support
- Letters of Reference / Certificate
Sample Program Fees: 4-Weeks Ghana
- Cross-Cultural Solutions*: $3,032
- Global Volunteers*: $2,495
- Projects Abroad*: $2,495
- Global Vision International: $2,025
- Amizade: $1,830
- i-to-i *† : $1,695
- BUNAC*: $1,369
- World Endeavors: $1,300
- Global Crossroad*: $1,164
- ELI Abroad: $1,045
- Cosmic Volunteers: $975
- Global Volunteer Network: $600
- HASPOG: $600
- DIVOG: $550
- Kids Worldwide: $350
* The organization also includes medical insurance.
† i-to-i’s fee of $1,695 does not include food (approximately
US$50 per week).
International Airfare
Sample Round-trip Fares (USD) to Popular Volunteer Destinations:
- New York to Peru: $ 400
- New York to Ecuador: $ 700
- New York to China: $ 900
- New York to Vietnam: $ 950
- New York to Ghana: $ 1,200
- New York to Kenya: $ 1,300
Tips for Buying your Flights
- Fly in the fall/winter seasons in Europe and North America for
cheapest airfares.
- Call the airlines directly, you can sometimes find cheaper
airfares.
- Use comparison websites like www.farecompare.com to search
for fares.
|
