How much does the Camino de Santiago cost?

At least in 2005 when we walked the Camino from St. Jean Pied de Porte to Santiago de Compostela, about half the albergues charged what you could afford–from as little as nothing to as much as a fist full of euros. Otherwise, expect to pay between 4 to 10 euros per person and to spend about as much for food for all three meals–but a little planning can reduce the food costs considerably. Think of eating local bread and cheese, canned tuna, half a container of juice, some fruit at breakfast and again at lunch. It never gets boring because the cheeses change, the fruits and vegetables are wonderful in Spain, and the main thing is sitting under a tree along the way and just being there. Consume and go on. For supper share pasta with other pilgrims, split a bread and some wine, take advantage if the “kitty” of surplus food at the albergue and don’t shrink from charity and pilgrim discounts.
And I would think that to camp–and we love camping–would be to miss the experience of staying in church-supported or other fraternal organization-related albergues and especially the chance to meet other pilgrims. Camp some other time–this is too good to miss–the expanding and contracting on-the-road communities of walkers, the shared meals, the pilgrim masses, and admiration from the locals for many of whom the customs associated with the pilgrimage are important.