Quito is one of the genuinely affordable capital cities in South America and the cheapest major Andean hub for travellers — significantly cheaper than Cusco, slightly cheaper than La Paz, and dramatically cheaper than Bogotá once you leave the historic centre. Ecuador's adoption of the US dollar as its official currency in 2000 means there's no currency arbitrage to chase and no exchange-rate gymnastics to play, but it also means prices have crept upward over two decades. Even so, a careful traveller can comfortably live on USD 35-50 a day in Quito including a private hostel room, three meals, transport, and a couple of paid attractions. This guide breaks down every category — flights, beds, almuerzos, buses, the teleférico — with actual venue names and current prices, so you can build a realistic budget for a city perched at 2,850 metres in the equatorial Andes.
Getting There on a Budget
Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) sits in Tababela, about 35 kilometres east of the city — confusingly far for a capital airport, the result of a 2013 relocation away from the central runway that used to terrify pilots. International flights into UIO from major hubs are the largest single expense for most budget travellers, but there are several ways to bring this down.
From North America, the cheapest carriers are typically Avianca (via Bogotá), Copa (via Panama City), and LATAM (via Lima). Round-trip fares from Miami, Houston, and New York to UIO range USD 320-500 in shoulder season (February-May, September-November) and USD 500-750 in peak season (June-August, mid-December). JetBlue operates direct from Fort Lauderdale at competitive prices. Setting a Google Flights price alert eight to ten weeks ahead of travel typically catches a fare drop.
From Europe, the cheapest routings are usually Iberia or Air Europa via Madrid (USD 600-900 round trip), KLM via Amsterdam, or Air France via Paris. Flying into Bogotá or Lima first and connecting on a low-cost regional carrier (JetSmart, Avianca regional, or LATAM domestic) sometimes saves USD 100-200 versus a direct routing into UIO.
If you're already in South America, the overland approach is dramatically cheaper than flying. From Cali or Pasto in southern Colombia, take a bus to the Rumichaca border crossing at Ipiales, walk across the bridge, and catch an onward bus from Tulcán to Quito (USD 7-9, 5 hours). The full Cali-to-Quito journey via overnight bus costs around USD 35-45. From Lima, the cheapest route is a 26-hour Cruz del Sur or Civa bus through northern Peru and across the Huaquillas border (USD 60-90), or fly LATAM/JetSmart for USD 90-150 if booked early.
From the airport into the city, the public Aeroservicios bus runs to the old terminal at Estación Río Coca and Quitumbe for USD 8 — significantly cheaper than the USD 26-30 taxi fare. The journey takes about 60-75 minutes depending on traffic. From Río Coca you can take a city bus or trole onward to your accommodation for USD 0.35.
Budget Accommodation
Quito has one of the best hostel scenes in South America, with strong concentrations in three neighbourhoods: La Mariscal (the gringo nightlife district), the Centro Histórico (the colonial old town), and La Floresta (a quieter, more bohemian residential area). Each has a different character and the price differences are smaller than the atmosphere differences.
Community Hostel (Calle Cuenca N1-178 y Rocafuerte, Centro Histórico, USD 14-17 dorm, USD 38-50 private double) is the social hub of Quito's old-town backpacker scene and consistently ranks as one of the best hostels in Ecuador. The communal family-style dinners (USD 5-7, optional) bring the entire hostel together every evening, the staff run free walking tours of the Centro Histórico, and the location places you within 10 minutes' walk of every major colonial-era church and plaza. Book three to four weeks ahead in peak season.
Secret Garden Quito (Antepara E4-60 y Los Ríos, Centro Histórico, USD 13-16 dorm, USD 40-55 private double) sits on a hilltop with a rooftop terrace that delivers the best skyline view in the old town — the entire colonial centre with the Virgin of El Panecillo statue floating above it. The hostel includes an excellent buffet breakfast in the dorm rate, has a small bar with cheap beers, and is genuinely social without being a party hostel. The 10-minute uphill walk from the trole station is the only downside.
Masaya Hostel (Rocafuerte E4-19 y García Moreno, Centro Histórico, USD 16-22 dorm, USD 55-75 private double) is the more polished mid-budget option in the old town — restored colonial building, courtyard with bar and pool table, on-site restaurant, slightly more grown-up clientele than Secret Garden. Worth the small premium if you want a quiet night's sleep.
Hostal Carrión (Carrión E5-37 y Juan León Mera, La Mariscal, USD 12-15 dorm, USD 30-42 private double) is the cheapest reliable option in the Mariscal nightlife district and a sensible base if you intend to drink your way through Plaza Foch. The hostel is plain but clean, breakfast is included, and the staff arrange Mindo and Otavalo day trips at fair prices.
Eating Cheaply Like a Local
Quito's eating economy is built around the almuerzo — the set lunch served between roughly 12pm and 3pm at thousands of small restaurants citywide. A standard almuerzo costs USD 2.50-4.50 and includes soup, a main course of meat or fish with rice and a small salad, a glass of fresh juice, and sometimes a small dessert. This is not tourist food — it's what office workers, taxi drivers, and university students eat every weekday, and it's the single most important budget tool in Ecuador.
In the Centro Histórico, the almuerzo zone runs along Calle Olmedo and the streets around the Mercado Central. Govinda's (Esmeraldas y Venezuela) serves a vegetarian almuerzo for USD 3 — soup, dal, rice, salad, juice, and a small dessert — and is consistently packed at lunch with locals. Cafetería Modelo (Sucre OE3-79, founded 1950) is a Quito institution serving traditional Ecuadorian breakfast and lunch in a beautifully preserved old-town interior; the almuerzo runs USD 4-5.
The Mercado Central (Calle Pichincha y Esmeraldas) is the cheapest hot-meal destination in the historic centre. The upper-floor food hall has dozens of stalls serving hornado (slow-roasted pig), seco de chivo (goat stew), llapingachos (potato cakes with chorizo), and the legendary Ecuadorian soup yaguarlocro for USD 3-5 per plate. The same dishes at a tourist restaurant on Calle La Ronda cost USD 9-14.
For street food, the corner of Plaza San Francisco and the streets around Plaza Grande have vendors selling empanadas de viento (USD 0.75), tortillas de maíz (USD 1), and humitas (corn tamales, USD 1.50) throughout the day. Fresh fruit juice — mora, naranjilla, tomate de árbol — runs USD 1-1.50 from market stalls and is genuinely worth seeking out; the naranjilla juice is a flavour you cannot buy outside the Andes.
In La Floresta, the almuerzo scene is slightly more middle-class. El Maple (Joaquín Pinto E7-68) is a long-running vegetarian restaurant with a USD 5 lunch menu. La Floresta market (Andalucía y Ladrón de Guevara, Wednesday and Saturday mornings) is the cleanest, most relaxed market in the city for self-catering produce. Mercado Iñaquito in the modern north is the largest food market in Quito with the lowest prices for fresh ingredients.
Free & Low-Cost Attractions
The Centro Histórico is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest and best-preserved colonial centres in the Americas — and most of it costs nothing to experience. Walking the cobbled streets between Plaza Grande, Plaza San Francisco, and Plaza Santo Domingo is itself the main attraction.
Plaza Grande (free) is the political and ceremonial heart of Quito, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace (Palacio de Carondelet), and the Archbishop's Palace. The changing of the guard happens every Monday at 11am — a free spectacle worth catching. Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús (USD 5) has the most spectacular gilded interior in the Americas — every surface coated in gold leaf — and is worth the entry fee even on a tight budget. Iglesia de San Francisco (free entry to the church, USD 3 to the museum) is the largest religious complex in colonial Quito.
The Basílica del Voto Nacional (USD 2 to climb the towers) lets you ascend the spires for views across the entire colonial centre — the steel ladders inside the towers are not for the vertigo-prone but the experience is unforgettable. Cheaper and more dramatic than most paid viewpoints.
El Panecillo (free, USD 1 to enter the Virgin statue) is the conical hill rising directly south of the Centro Histórico, topped by a 41-metre statue of the winged Virgin of Quito. The walk up from the old town is not recommended for security reasons — take a taxi (USD 5-7) or the public bus from the Pasaje Amador stop. The view from the base of the statue covers the entire valley.
La Ronda (free) is the restored colonial street running along the southern edge of the historic centre, full of artisan workshops, traditional Ecuadorian restaurants, and a low-key evening atmosphere. Wandering it after sunset is one of the best free experiences in Quito.
The Mitad del Mundo monument (USD 5 entry to the complex, plus USD 5 for the Intiñan museum next door) marks the actual equator — though the official monument is about 240 metres off the true line, while the Intiñan museum sits closer to the real equatorial line and runs entertaining demonstrations about Coriolis effects and balancing eggs on nail heads. The site is reachable by public bus (USD 0.40 trole + USD 0.40 connecting bus) for under USD 1 each way.
Getting Around on a Budget
Quito has the cheapest urban transport of any major South American capital. The combined Trolebús (trole) and Ecovía bus rapid transit lines run north-south through the city for USD 0.35 per ride — a flat fare regardless of distance. The trole runs along the western corridor through the Centro Histórico, and the Ecovía runs along the eastern corridor through La Floresta and the modern north. Together they cover most of the routes a visitor needs. Buy single-ride tickets at any station.
City buses (regular yellow buses, not BRT) cost USD 0.30 and cover every street in the city, but the routing is opaque to non-locals and the buses are crowded and uncomfortable. Use them for short hops only, or stick with the trole/Ecovía system.
The Quito teleférico (USD 9 round-trip for foreigners, USD 3.50 for locals — bring ID) is the cable car climbing the slopes of Volcán Pichincha to 4,100 metres. The ride itself is the attraction — 18 minutes ascending the side of a volcano with the entire city visible below — and from the top you can hike the Rucu Pichincha trail or simply enjoy the altitude views. Take a taxi (USD 4-6 from the Mariscal) to the base station; there's no direct trole connection.
Taxis in Quito are cheap by international standards — USD 2-3 for short hops within central neighbourhoods, USD 4-7 across the city. Insist on the meter (el taxímetro) or agree the price before getting in. Uber and Cabify operate in Quito at slightly lower prices than street taxis and add a layer of safety; both apps work normally.
Money-Saving Tips
1. Eat almuerzo as your main meal. A USD 4 lunch with soup, main, juice, and dessert at a local restaurant replaces what would be a USD 12-18 dinner at the same establishment. Eat large at lunch and snack lightly in the evening — empanadas, fruit, a beer at the hostel — and you cut your daily food spend by 60%.
2. Use the trole for everything north-south. A USD 0.35 trole ride replaces a USD 4-6 taxi for any north-south journey along the central spine. Three trole rides a day costs USD 1.05; three taxi rides costs USD 15. Over a week, the savings cover an extra night's accommodation.
3. Buy bottled water in 6-litre jugs at supermercados. Quito tap water is not safe for foreign visitors. A 6-litre jug from Supermaxi or Megamaxi costs USD 1.20-1.50 — the same volume in 500ml bottles costs USD 4-6. Decant into a refillable bottle for daily use.
4. Visit the Mitad del Mundo on weekday mornings. Weekend prices for some tour operators are double the weekday rate, and the public bus to the equator runs more reliably on weekdays. Combine the visit with a stop at the Pululahua crater overlook (free, accessible by the same bus route).
5. Withdraw cash from Banco Pichincha or Banco del Pacífico ATMs. These banks charge the lowest withdrawal fees for foreign cards (USD 1-2 per transaction). Banco Bolivariano and Produbanco charge USD 5+ per withdrawal. Withdraw enough for several days at a time to minimise fees.
6. Take overnight buses to Cuenca, Baños, or the coast instead of flying. The Quito-to-Cuenca overnight bus on Cooperativa Flota Imbabura or Panamericana costs USD 12-15 versus USD 50-90 for a domestic flight. The bus saves a night's accommodation and the journey through the central highlands is genuinely spectacular at sunrise.
7. Skip the paid Mitad del Mundo tour packages. Tour companies in La Mariscal sell "equator tour" day trips for USD 30-50 that simply put you on a bus to the same monument you can reach for USD 1 in public transport. The DIY version takes the same time and costs 95% less.
