Which place is cheaper, Quito or Athens?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Athens or Quito?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Athens and Quito. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Athens or Quito?
Athens
Athens is the capital city of Greece and is home to a population of over 3.7 million people. It's most famous as the birthplace of Classical Greece and the history in the city is incomparable to that found anywhere. It became the national capital of the modern Greek State in the 1830s, before which it was just a small village with a very impressive history. The city was redesigned by architects and city planners and incorporated large public squares, lots of green space, and wide avenues. The city has had its ups and downs both economically and politically, but it remains a beautiful and impressive place to explore.
Quito
Nestled between two mountain ranges lies the world's highest capital city, Quito, Ecuador. For history lovers, Quito is a very desirable destination as it's home to the Quito Historic Center – one of the largest and best-preserved historic centers in the Americas.
Even though Quito is full of people – in fact, it's the second most populous city in the country – very few of its inhabitants speak English. Luckily, however, the citizens of Quito tend to speak a slower and more clear Spanish than surrounding areas. This is the perfect place to practice what you read in your Intro to Spanish book.
Before visiting Quito, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, give yourself a few days to grow accustomed to the elevation. Staying 9,350 feet above sea level takes some getting used to. Second, don't be fooled into thinking that just because you're visiting a town on the equator that you'll need all your summer clothes. Because of the city's elevation, the area keeps a relatively cool climate year round.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Greece, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Greece, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.
-
Athens Prices
Greece PricesQuito Prices
Ecuador Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAthens $180Quito $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Athens is $180, while the average daily cost in Quito is $66. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Athens and Quito in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAthens $74Quito $22
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAthens $148Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Athens and Quito
Looking for a hotel in Athens or Quito? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Athens Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Athens $31Quito $6.99
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Athens
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Athens:
-
Airport Bus for Two$7.48
-
Metro$1.75
-
Metro$2.34
-
Metro from Airport to City Center$9.35
-
Taxi from Airport$41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Athens
Also for Athens, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Athens Airport Private Transfer to and from Hotels: $68
- Athens Airport To Piraeus Port - Hotel Private Luxury Transfer : $39
- Athens Airport Transfer: $118
- Athens City - Airport Transfer with Private Minivan : $113
- Athens to Piraeus (Athens) Cruise Port - Departure Private Transfer: $39
- Limo Transfer From Vouliagmeni or Glyfada to Athens Airport : $238
- "Luxurious Transfer": $56
- "Private Airport Transfer: Athens Airport to/from Piraeus Port": $82
- A mini Embark / Disembark Tour In Athens With Transfers from airport / port.: $291
- AIRPORT TRANSFER to/from hotel (up 14 in a luxurious Minibus ) : $33
- ATHENS CENTER: Transfer From/To Airport Athens: $80
- ATHENS HOTEL transfer to/from Piraeus Cruise Port (up to 14 pax) : $262
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Quito
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Quito:
-
Taxi from Bus Terminal to Hotel$10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quito
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Quito:
- From Quilotoa Lake Private Tour with Transfer & Lunch: $169
- Minibus Arrival Private Transfer from Quito Airport UIO to Quito: $134
- From Mindo Cloud Forest Day Trip with Transfer: $129
- Arrival Private Transfer Quito Airport UIO to Quito by Minivan: $124
- Quito Airport Private Transfer Service: $112
- Private Transfers / Discover Mindo: Full Day of Adventure Tour: $110
- Private City Tour & Intiñam Museum Visit w/ Transfer: $85
- Private transfer to Mindo: $70
- Transfer airport to hotel in Quito or from Quito to airport: $70
- Transfer to Mashpi Amagusa Reserve one way : $69
- Private Transfers Quito to Tena: $65
- Private Transfer In from International Airport Mariscal Sucre to Quito : $60
Is it cheaper to fly into Athens or Quito?
Prices for flights to both Quito and Athens change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
-
Food Meals for one dayAthens $75Quito $34
Typical Food Prices in Athens
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Athens:
-
Ice cream$3.50
-
Souvlaki$2.57
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Athens
For Athens, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hard Rock Cafe Athens with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $27
- Hard Rock Cafe Athens with Set Lunch or Dinner: $30
- No Diet Club - Unique local Food Tour in Athens!: $47
- "A Night in Dinner and Music Under the Stars": $56
- Cooking Class at Diamond Roof Garden: $58
- Athens walking and tasting food tour.: $58
- Greek Street Food Tour: $62
- Street Food Tour Market & City Centre: $68
- Signature Morning Walking Food Tour in Athens: $68
- Delicious food tour for families 15+ iconic Greek foods: $71
- Traditional Greek food tour in hidden spots: $71
- Athens's original vegan food tour: $77
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quito
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Quito.
- Old Town Highlights & Food Tour: $29
- Guilty Pleasures Walking Food Tours in Quito: $45
- Street Food Tour with Private Transport: $45
- Food Tour in quaint old town with tastings and lunch: $55
- Quito Cooking Class Shared Experience: $59
- From Cayambe Traditional Cooking Class with Transfers: $60
- Cooking Class in Quito with Chef, Market Tour and Transportation: $88
- Cooking Class with Chef, Market Tour & Transportation: $88
- Cooking Class with a chef and local market including hotel pickup: $89
- Ecuadorian Cooking Class with a chef and Local Market: $89
- Jacchigua Show Including Dinner + Transfer: $92
- Tour Quito with Cooking Class with Professional Chef: $95
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Athens $42Quito $16
Tours and Activities in Athens
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Athens.
- Self Guided Walking Tour in Athens Hidden Gems: $2.35
- Self Guided Tour In Athens With 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.56
- Ancient Myth & History Puzzle Adventure: $6.91
- Herakleidon Museum of Ancient Greek Technology: Entry Ticket: $6.91
- Off the Beaten Path Neighborhoods Guided Tour: $7.38
- Neighborhood of the Gods Smarthphone GPS APP Audio Walking Tour: $7.50
- Athens Interactive City Tour: $8.06
- Ancient Agora: Audiovisual self-guided tour with 3D models: $8.06
- Athens Olympic Museum: Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket: $8.07
- Athens Interactive City Tour: $8.34
- Cats of Self-Guided Mobile Tour in Plaka: $9.21
- Acropolis: 3D representations & audiovisual self-guided tour: $9.21
Typical Entertainment Prices in Quito
Here are a few typical costs in Quito for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
-
Entrance to Guyasimine Museum for Two$8.00
Tours and Activities in Quito
Here are a few actual costs in Quito for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Tour Full-Day Mercado de Otavalo + Cotacachi, Ecuador.: $75
- 2 Full Days Exploring The Ecuadorian Amazon | Tour Start In Quito: $284
- 2-Day Tour of Cotopaxi Volcano and Quilotoa Lagoon with hotel: $222
- 3-Day Adventure: Quito, Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Baños, Jungle: $880
- 3-Day Andes Adventure Visiting Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Baños: $239
- 3-Day Private Tour of Quito: $120
- Adventure in Quilotoa Lagoon by Lead: $150
- Antisana Volcano Birding & Natural History Condor Tour PRIVATE, all included: $198
- Antisana Volcano Day Tour from Quito: $120
- Antisana Volcano Private Tour: $103
- Antisana volcano private tour; birding and hike in the Andes: $99
- Baños 2Day/1Night Tour - All Included tours: $149
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayAthens $26Quito $17
Sample the Local Flavors in Athens
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Athens:
- The NightCrawlers | Athens Bar Hopping | Pub Crawl: $19
- Athens Party Pub Crawl with Unlimited Drinks & Club Access: $25
- Athens Ultimate Bar Crawl: $36
- Wine Tasting in Rare Grape Varieties of Greece: $40
- Athens Ultimate Bar Crawl: $40
- Athens Old Town: Wine Tasting based on Ancient Greek Grapes: $40
- Small-Group Rooftop & Offbeat Nightlife Gems Pub Crawl: $42
- Santorini Wine Tasting at Brettos Bar in Plaka: $45
- Organic and Vegan Indigenous Wine Tasting Private Experience: $48
- Acropolis Wine Tasting with Cheese and Olives: $56
- Acropolis Private Wine Tasting @ Finewine store : $67
- Wine Tasting with a Sommelier under the Acropolis: $67
Typical Alcohol Prices in Quito
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Quito from other travelers:
-
Beers for Two$9.00
Sample the Local Flavors in Quito
Also in Quito, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Half-day tour to high altitude vineyards and wine tasting: $45
- Ecuador Spirit Craft Brewery Tasting and Latitude 0 Private Tour: $155
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Athens and Quito, we can see that Athens is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Athens is in Europe and Quito is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Quito would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Quito and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Athens would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Athens than you might in Quito.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Athens Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Athens or Quito?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 92% larger than the population of Athens. When comparing the sizes of Athens and Quito, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.