Which place is cheaper, Quito or Birmingham?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Birmingham or Quito?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Birmingham and Quito can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Birmingham or Quito?
Birmingham
Birmingham, England, is often known as Britain's second-largest city. It is located in the western Midlands of England. Birmingham is nearly in the center of England, so almost all rail and motorways cross here. The city gained popularity and status during the industrial revolution and is still one of the main cities for industrial production and power, ranging from electricity to metal. Because of its importance as an industrial hub, it is one of the most populated cities in England. In more recent years, Birmingham has done a lot to add to the overall cultural scene of the city with the addition of museums and art.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to United Kingdom, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in United Kingdom, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.
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Birmingham Prices
UK PricesQuito Prices
Ecuador Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBirmingham $215Quito $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Birmingham is $215, 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 Birmingham and Quito in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBirmingham $88Quito $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBirmingham $176Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Birmingham and Quito
Looking for a hotel in Birmingham 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: Birmingham Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Birmingham $34Quito $6.99
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Birmingham
Also for Birmingham, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arrival Private Transfers from Airport BHX to Birmingham in Business Car: $96
- Birmingham Airport (BHX) to Birmingham - Arrival Private Transfer: $69
- Birmingham Airport : Bus transferring to/from Birmingham: $7.37
- Birmingham Airport : Bus transferring to/from Oxford: $17
- Birmingham Airport(BHX) to Towcester -Round-Trip Private Transfer: $289
- Birmingham Private Transfer from Birmingham Airport to City centre: $147
- Birmingham Private Transfer from Birmingham city centre to Birmingham Airport: $119
- Birmingham to Birmingham Airport BHX - Departure Private Transfer: $69
- Manchester Airport : Bus transferring to/from Birmingham: $11
- Private Birmingham Arrival Transfer - Airport to Hotel / Accommodation: $64
- UK: Birmingham Transfers to Heathrow Airport: $369
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Quito
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Quito:
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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: $166
- Private Transfer In & Out: $130
- From Mindo Cloud Forest Day Trip with Transfer: $129
- Panoramic City Tour & Airport Departure Transfer: $114
- Middle of the World Tour with Airport Transfer: $114
- Airport Transfer and City Highlights Tour: $114
- Arrival Transfer from Quito Airport UIO to Quito by Sedan or SUV: $105
- Private City Tour & Intiñam Museum Visit w/ Transfer: $89
- Private Transfer Quito to Mindo – SUV or Van (1–6): $88
- Transfer Quito → Papallacta (one way / round trip): $85
- Private Transfer from Quito to Baños de Agua Santa (one way): $80
- Transfer from or to Airport Mariscal Sucre (one way): $75
Is it cheaper to fly into Birmingham or Quito?
Prices for flights to both Quito and Birmingham 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
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Food Meals for one dayBirmingham $88Quito $34
Typical Food Prices in Birmingham
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Birmingham:
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Two Subs at Birmingham Bus Station$7.46
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Birmingham
For Birmingham, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Self Guided Half Day Food Tour in Birmingham: $94
- Delicious Healthy Cooking Classes: $121
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quito
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Quito.
- Ecuadorian Gastronomy Tasting and Cooking Class in Quito: $25
- Guilty Pleasures Walking Food Tours in Quito: $45
- Quito Eats Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $55
- From Cayambe Traditional Cooking Class with Transfers: $60
- Food Tour in quaint old town with tastings and lunch: $71
- 3-hour Andean Cooking Class in Quito with a Local Host: $75
- Street Food Tour with Private Transport: $79
- Homemade Local Food Tour in Guayaquil: $80
- Hidden Gems Food Tour with Cacao Tasting and Culture: $87
- 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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Birmingham $64Quito $16
Tours and Activities in Birmingham
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Birmingham.
- Birmingham Self-Guided Audio Experience: $6.00
- Birmingham Bricks and Bulls Self Guided Tour with App: $7.99
- On the Origins of Charles Darwin: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Shrewsbury: $9.59
- Scavenger Hunt Adventure in West Bromwich by Operation City Quest: $11
- The Birmingham Rock and Metal Self-Guided Walking Tour: $12
- Birmingham Private Self-Guided Walking Tour: $13
- Winterbourne House and Garden Admission Ticket: $14
- Skip the Line: House and Garden Admission Ticket: $14
- Birmingham’s Underground Heritage: A Self-Guided Cemetery Tour: $15
- Birmingham History Tour: $16
- 2.5-Hours Walking Tour of Birmingham into Black Heritage Madiba: $19
- Birmingham City Centre Daily Walking Tour (10:30am & 2pm): $19
Typical Entertainment Prices in Quito
Here are a few typical costs in Quito for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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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:
- “Adventure in Baths: Waterfalls, End of the World Swing and More”: $190
- 1-Day Adventure to the Andean Choco Experience the Forest: $125
- 2 Day Quito to Cotopaxi and Quilotoa Tour with Accommodation: $281
- 2 day 1 night tour to Cotopaxi Volcano and Quilotoa Lagoon all included: $280
- 2-Day Tour of Cotopaxi Volcano and Quilotoa Lagoon with hotel: $222
- 2D private Tour from Quito visiting Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Baños: $281
- 3-Day Adventure: Quito, Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Baños, Jungle: $897
- 3-Day Andes Adventure Visiting Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Baños: $239
- 3-Day Antisana & Amazon comunities, Caves, Baños Guided Tour: $734
- 6-Day Ecuador Heritage Tour: Art, Culture and Otavalo: $1,847
- Adventure and Relaxation in Baños de Agua Santa: $236
- Adventure in Cotopaxi Firefall Limpiopungo and Andes: $160
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBirmingham $15Quito $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Quito
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Quito from other travelers:
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Beers for Two$9.00
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Birmingham and Quito, we can see that Birmingham is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Birmingham 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 Birmingham would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Birmingham 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 Birmingham Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Birmingham or Quito?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 42% larger than the population of Birmingham. When comparing the sizes of Birmingham 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.