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Quito Prices & Cost of Living 2026
Ecuador ยท Big city โ Quito is about 75% cheaper than New York. Not just exchange rates: what a fair price is, where it turns into a rip-off, and what that means in your money.
Quito prices at a glance
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Quito travel difficulty
Street taxis claim a 'broken meter'; ride apps avoid it
Basic English in hotels and tourist spots; Spanish elsewhere
Metro Line 1 runs northโsouth; airport about 1 h away; app taxis
US dollars; $50/$100 bills often refused; cards in bigger places
Express kidnappings via taxis; don't walk Old Town/Panecillo at night
Good to knowCarry small US bills; take only orange-plate licensed taxis or app rides
Handy apps: Uber ยท DiDi ยท Cabify ยท inDrive
Visas depend on your passport, so they are not scored. Felt different on the ground? Tell other travelers below. Travel difficulty in the Americas โบ Difficulty ranking for 502 cities โบ
In your money
Quito is about 75% cheaper than New York
Based on 8 things travelers buy most, compared with New York. Each pair of bars is the same purchase in both cities, converted to your currency. Set your own city and currency in โMy basisโ above.
Quito in numbers
- ๐20 local meals
- โ33 coffees
- ๐บ33 beers
- ๐20 5-km taxi rides
- ๐4 h of massage
- ๐จ1.8 hotel nights
- Local meal1 h 24 min ยท New York 52 min
- Coffee50 min ยท New York 15 min
- Beer50 min ยท New York 23 min
- Taxi1 h 24 min ยท New York 59 min
- Street food#93 cheapest
- Transit#100 cheapest
- Cocktail & wine#131 cheapest
- Haircut#248 cheapest
- Bottled water#217 cheapest
Quito price guide & rip-off thresholds
Quito travel budget
Per person per day, estimated. Flights and shopping not included.
See 4-day, 1-week and 1-month budget tables โบ ยท Plan a multi-city trip budget โบ
How to spend money in Quito
Live prices reported in Quito
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FAQ
Is Quito cheaper than New York?
Across 8 things travelers buy most (meals, coffee, beer, taxis, hotelsโฆ), Quito is about 75% cheaper than New York. A local meal is about $5 and a coffee about $3.
How hard is Quito to travel?
Averaging rip-offs, language, getting around, payments and safety, Quito scores 2.8/5 โ 'moderate'. The main thing to watch is rip-offs & haggling (3/5): Street taxis claim a 'broken meter'; ride apps avoid it. Tip: Carry small US bills; take only orange-plate licensed taxis or app rides
Is Quito good for first-time travelers?
With a little preparation, yes (2.8/5). Rip-offs & haggling: Street taxis claim a 'broken meter'; ride apps avoid it. Tip: Carry small US bills; take only orange-plate licensed taxis or app rides
What is a realistic daily budget for Quito?
Mid-range (3-star hotel, local meals plus a dinner out, two taxi rides) is about $109 a day. Guesthouses and street food bring it to about $33.4; 4-star and restaurants push it to about $228.
How much does it cost to live in Quito for a month?
A short-term studio (about $1,020) plus food, transport and a SIM (about $810) comes to roughly $1,830 a month. A local long-term lease (studio about $450) brings it down a lot.
How much should a taxi cost in Quito?
For 5 km in town, expect $4 โ $8; anything above $9.6 is suspicious.
Where do these numbers come from?
Base prices start from public cost-of-living data; once 3+ traveler reports come in, the app blends in the median of what people actually paid.
Fair range & rip-off line โ each item gets its own spread (tight for transit, wide for street food). Above 1.2ร the top of the fair range is flagged as a likely rip-off.
Budgets add up item prices for the lifestyle described above. Peak season and prime tourist spots run higher.
Exchange rate as of October 2026: 1 USD = $1. Last updated 2026-10-05.