Short answer: On mainland Ecuador, plan on roughly $25–55 per person per day on a hostel-and-set-lunch budget, $80–200 in a mid-range hotel shared by two with taxis and a guided day trip every other day, and from about $300 for historic luxury hotels, private drivers and Andean or Amazon lodges. A week on the mainland therefore costs about $175–385, $560–1,400 or from about $2,100 per person, before flights. The Galápagos are a separate budget: add the $200 national park fee, the $20 transit control card, the island flights and higher island prices.
Ecuador is one of the easiest countries in South America to budget for, because it uses the US dollar: there is nothing to convert if you come from the United States, and a menu price is a price you already understand. A set lunch costs a few dollars, a city bus ride in Quito costs well under a dollar, and the mainland’s national parks charge no entrance fee. The big costs are where you sleep, how many guided trips you book, and above all whether you add the Galápagos, which can cost more in a week than the rest of the trip. This guide breaks it all down so you can build a realistic budget for your own trip to Ecuador. If you earn in another currency, our Money exchange tool has today’s rate.
Ecuador daily costs at a glance
These example days are built from the prices further down this page: one person, one day in Quito, Cuenca or elsewhere in the Andes. They leave out flights to Ecuador, the Galápagos (see below) and souvenirs such as a Panama hat.
| Per person, per day | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | Hostel dorm bed: $10–20 | Half of a mid-range double at $60–140: $30–70 | Half of a boutique colonial hotel room at $180–350: from about $90 |
| Food | A set lunch (almuerzo), market snacks and a simple dinner: $12–20 | A set lunch plus half of a $50–100 dinner for two, and drinks: $35–60 | Restaurant and hotel meals with wine: $60–90 |
| Transport | City buses, the Quito Metro, the Cuenca tram, a long-distance bus leg: $2–10 | Taxis around town, a share of an airport taxi: $5–15 | Private driver for transfers and day trips: from about $60 |
| Sights | Free plazas, markets and national parks, a church entry: $0–5 | Church and museum entries, or a share of a day tour at $50–120: $10–60 | Private guided day trips: from about $80 |
| Total | About $25–55 | About $80–200 | From about $300 |
City bus and Metro fares are Quito’s published fares; room, meal, taxi and tour figures are the typical ranges used in our Quito and Cuenca guides, and comfort allowances are our estimates. Treat them as typical ranges, not quotes. Cuenca is a little cheaper than Quito, and the coast and the Galápagos are dearer.
What visitors actually spend in Ecuador
Ecuador does not publish a simple, current figure for what a foreign tourist spends per day, but holiday reports from the government give useful reference points. Over the five-day New Year holiday of 2025, the Ministry of Tourism reported an average hotel rate of $83 a night across the country. For the May 24 holiday in 2026, the government reported average spending of about $66.70 per tourist per day, up from about $58.20 a year earlier. Both figures mostly reflect Ecuadorians traveling at home, so a foreign visitor who stays in hotels, eats out and books tours will usually spend more, close to our mid-range band.
On our Travel costs by country scale, which compares hotel, restaurant and transport prices with the United States (US = 100), Ecuador scores 49. In plain words, a typical room, meal or ride costs roughly half of what it would at home in the US. That puts Ecuador level with Colombia (50), a little cheaper than Peru (57) and well below Costa Rica (67). The score is for the mainland; the Galápagos, where most supplies arrive by ship, cost far more.
Accommodation costs
Ecuador has beds for every budget, from backpacker hostels in Quito’s old town to restored colonial mansions, haciendas in the Andes and jungle lodges on the Napo River. As typical ranges, the same ones we use in our destination guides:
- Hostel dorm bed: about $12–20 in Quito and $10–18 in Cuenca.
- Mid-range double room: about $70–140 in Quito’s old town or La Floresta, and $60–120 in Cuenca’s historic center.
- Boutique and colonial hotels: about $180–350 in Quito and $130–250 in a restored house in Cuenca.
- Galápagos: a mid-range double in Puerto Ayora runs about $120–250, and small-ship cruises cost about $400–1,000 or more per person per night.
Prices in Ecuador include 15% value-added tax (IVA), and many hotels add a 10% service charge on top, so check whether a quoted rate includes both. Rooms are busiest and dearest at Carnival (February 8–9, 2027), Holy Week (March 21–28, 2027), in July and August and over Christmas and New Year, when Ecuadorians travel too.
Food and drink costs
Eating is where Ecuador is best value. The almuerzo, a set lunch of soup, a main plate with rice, and a fruit juice, costs about $4–7 in Quito and $3–6 in Cuenca, and it is how most Ecuadorians eat their main meal. A plate of hornado (roast pork) in a market costs about $4–7. Dinner for two in a good Quito restaurant runs about $50–100. In Quito and Cuenca, try locro de papa (potato and cheese soup), llapingachos (potato patties) and Ecuadorian chocolate, one of the country’s prides; on the coast, ceviche and encebollado, a fish and onion soup.
Restaurants in tourist areas and hotels charge more than neighborhood comedores and markets, and imported wine is expensive. In the Galápagos, food costs more than on the mainland because most supplies arrive by ship, though the evening street of fish kiosks in Puerto Ayora is a good-value treat. Tap water is not for drinking, so budget for bottled or filtered water.
Getting around: buses, the Metro, taxis and flights
Mainland distances are short, and public transport is cheap.
- City buses and the Quito Metro: a conventional city bus ride in Quito costs $0.35, and the Metro, which crosses the city from north to south, costs $0.45. In Cuenca, the tram and buses cost under $1.
- Taxis: about $3–8 within Quito and $2–5 in Cuenca. Use the authorized taxi booths at the airport, where the ride to central Quito costs about $25–35 and takes 45 minutes to an hour and a quarter. In Quito, the driver should use the meter; elsewhere, agree the fare first.
- Long-distance buses: connect all the mainland cities cheaply. Quito to Cuenca takes about nine to ten hours by road, so many travelers fly.
- Domestic flights: link Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and the Galápagos. A round trip from the mainland to the Galápagos typically costs about $250–550.
- Car hire: you can drive on a foreign license for up to six months, but mountain roads are slow, and Quito restricts driving by license-plate number at peak hours. A driver for a day trip is often simpler.
For realistic travel times between the volcanoes, the colonial cities and the islands, see our Ecuador itinerary for 7, 10 and 14 days.
The Galápagos: a separate budget
Most visitors to Ecuador want to see the Galápagos Islands, and this is where the budget changes. Two charges are fixed and official, and the rest are our typical ranges:
| Galápagos item | Price |
|---|---|
| National park entrance fee, foreign visitor over 12 (paid in cash on arrival) | $200 (under 12: $100; under 2: free) |
| Transit Control Card, bought at Quito or Guayaquil airport before check-in | $20 |
| Round-trip flight from Quito or Guayaquil | About $250–550 |
| Barge across the Itabaca Channel from Baltra airport | About $1 |
| Inter-island speedboat, one way | About $30–40 |
| Day boat tour to a nearby island with snorkeling | About $150–250 |
| Small-ship cruise, per person per night | About $400–1,000 or more |
The park fee is set by the Galápagos National Park Directorate, and nationals of Andean Community and Mercosur countries pay $100. The transit card comes from the Galápagos Governing Council, and tourists may stay up to 60 days a year. Beyond flights and the two charges, a land-based trip, sleeping in hotels on Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal or Isabela and taking day tours, costs roughly $200–400 per person per day by our estimates; cruises cost more but reach remote islands. Bring cash in small bills: the park fee is paid in cash, and island ATMs can run out.
Sightseeing fees and free things to do
Much of mainland Ecuador costs little or nothing to see. Entry to the national parks and protected areas outside the Galápagos is free, including Cotopaxi and Cajas, though visitors are asked to register at the entrance. In Quito’s old town, many churches charge small entrance fees, and day tours to Cotopaxi or Otavalo cost about $50–120, while tours from Cuenca to Cajas or the Inca site of Ingapirca run about $45–90.
Free or nearly free:
- Quito’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its plazas, the Plaza Grande and the street of La Ronda. Our city sightseeing guide has tips for exploring old towns.
- The Indigenous market at Otavalo’s Plaza de los Ponchos, about two hours north of Quito.
- Cuenca’s riverside walks along the Tomebamba, its flower market and the blue domes of the New Cathedral.
- Hiking at Cotopaxi, around the Quilotoa crater lake and in Cajas National Park. See our hiking guide.
- In the Galápagos, Tortuga Bay, a long white beach reached by a paved path from Puerto Ayora, and other town beaches cost nothing to visit.
A genuine toquilla straw hat, the “Panama hat” woven in Ecuador, costs from about $30 to several hundred dollars, depending on the fineness of the weave. Our Top 10 places to visit in Ecuador covers the highlights in more detail.
Taxes and visitor fees
- Value-added tax: 15% IVA, included in shop prices; hotels and restaurants often add a 10% service charge as well.
- Galápagos National Park fee: $200 for foreign visitors over 12, paid in cash on arrival at Baltra or San Cristóbal.
- Galápagos Transit Control Card: $20, bought at the Governing Council counter at Quito or Guayaquil airport before you check in.
- Cash rules: declare $10,000 or more when you enter or leave Ecuador.
Tipping in Ecuador
Restaurants and hotels often add a 10% service charge, so check the bill before tipping extra. Tip guides and drivers for good service, especially naturalist guides and crews in the Galápagos, where tipping at the end of a cruise or tour is expected. Our tip calculator does the math.
Money and payments
Ecuador’s currency is the US dollar, and the country also mints its own 5, 10, 25 and 50 centavo coins, which are used alongside US coins. Bring small bills: $50 and $100 notes are hard to use, and many shops refuse them. Credit cards are generally accepted in cities but not elsewhere, so carry cash in rural areas, markets and the Galápagos, and use ATMs inside banks or shopping centers during the day.
Money-saving tips for Ecuador
- Eat the almuerzo. A set lunch is the cheapest good meal of the day.
- Use public transport in the cities. Quito’s buses and Metro cost under half a dollar a ride.
- Enjoy the free parks. Mainland national parks charge no entry fee; you pay only for a guide or transport.
- Island-hop instead of cruising. A hotel-based Galápagos trip with day boats costs much less than a cruise.
- Travel outside the peaks. Late April to early June and September to November usually bring quieter hotels and the best Galápagos deals. Our best time to visit Ecuador guide has the month-by-month details.
- Carry small bills. It avoids refused notes and overpaying for lack of change.
Plan your trip: our free trip planner can build a day-by-day plan for Ecuador from our guides, starting with Quito, Cuenca and the Galápagos. The Ecuador itinerary shows how to fit the Andes and the islands into one or two weeks, and the Money exchange tool turns dollars into your own currency.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need for a week in Ecuador?
Using the example days above, seven days on the mainland cost roughly $175–385 per person on a tight budget, $560–1,400 mid-range and from about $2,100 in comfort, before flights. If you spend part of the week in the Galápagos, add the $220 in park and transit fees, the island flights and roughly $200–400 a day for a land-based stay.
Is Ecuador expensive?
Not on the mainland. On our travel cost scale Ecuador scores 49 against 100 for the United States, so rooms, meals and transport cost about half as much. The Galápagos are the exception: fees, flights, tours and island prices make them one of the pricier places to travel in South America.
Do I need cash in Ecuador?
Yes. Markets, buses, small restaurants and rural areas work in cash, and the Galápagos park fee must be paid in cash. Bring small US bills, as $50 and $100 notes are often refused. Cards work in city hotels and larger restaurants.
How much does it cost to visit the Galápagos?
Foreign visitors over 12 pay a $200 national park fee and a $20 transit control card. Add a round-trip flight from the mainland, typically about $250–550, and roughly $200–400 per person per day for a hotel-based trip with tours, by our estimates; cruises cost more.
Do I need to change money for Ecuador?
Not if you carry US dollars, the country’s currency. Visitors from elsewhere can withdraw dollars from ATMs in banks and shopping centers, which is usually easier than changing other currencies.
What is the cheapest month to visit Ecuador?
Late April to early June and September to November usually bring the quietest hotels and the best Galápagos deals, away from Carnival, Holy Week, the July–August holidays and Christmas.