Which place is cheaper, Quito or Brisbane?
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 Brisbane 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 Brisbane and Quito can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Brisbane or Quito?
Brisbane
Although Brisbane is often overlooked as a travel destination in Australia, it is the capital of the state of Queensland, and is the third largest city in Australia. It's a very young and vibrant city with an active nightlife and a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. It's a modern and economically thriving city and, if you do have time to visit, it actually has a lot to offer travelers. It has some beautiful scenery, a wonderful warm climate all year long, and is actually one of the fastest growing cities in Australia.
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 Australia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Australia, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.
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Brisbane Prices
Australia PricesQuito Prices
Ecuador Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBrisbane $165Quito $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Brisbane is $165, 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 Brisbane and Quito in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBrisbane $87Quito $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBrisbane $174Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Brisbane and Quito
Looking for a hotel in Brisbane 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: Brisbane Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Brisbane $19Quito $6.99
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Brisbane
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Brisbane:
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Airtrain to the City$10
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Go Card$17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Brisbane
Also for Brisbane, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer to Secrets St Lucia Resort & Spa (Groups of 4): $165
- Brisbane Airport (BNE) to Brisbane - Arrival Private Transfer: $81
- Brisbane Airport (BNE) to Brisbane hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $165
- Brisbane Airport Private Transfer Service to Brisbane City: $112
- Brisbane Airport Private Transfer to City Center: $61
- Brisbane Airport: Shared Transfer to Brisbane: $22
- Brisbane Airport: Shared Transfer to Gold Coast: $56
- Brisbane Airport: Shared Transfer to Sunshine Coast: $63
- Brisbane Airport: Shared Transfer to Sunshine Coast: $59
- Brisbane Cruise Port: Private Transfer to Brisbane hotels: $226
- Brisbane To Brisbane Airport or Cruise Transfers: $107
- Brisbane hotels to Brisbane Airport (BNE) - Departure Private Transfer: $82
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
- Arrival Private Transfer Quito Airport UIO to Quito by Minivan: $137
- Transfer In & Out from Quito: $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
- Transfer to Mashpi Amagusa Reserve one way: $109
- Private City Tour & Intiñam Museum Visit w/ Transfer: $89
- 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 Brisbane or Quito?
Prices for flights to both Quito and Brisbane 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 dayBrisbane $58Quito $34
Typical Food Prices in Brisbane
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Brisbane:
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Hamburger Lunch$5.58
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Cup of Coffee$2.09
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Chinese Food Lunch$8.73
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Ice cream$3.84
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Japanese Meal$15
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Smoothie$4.54
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Japanese Soup$8.03
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Coffee & Muffin$4.89
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Morning Mint Tea$2.44
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Veggie Burger & Chips$9.77
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Bread$1.82
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Brisbane
For Brisbane, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Gold Coast: Glow Worms, Sunset & Stargazing with BBQ dinner: $118
- Vertigo Dinner – Dining on the Edge: $165
- Local Icons Food Tour: $354
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: $12
- 3 Hours Local Food Tour in Quito: $38
- Guilty Pleasures Walking Food Tours in Quito: $45
- Quito Eats Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $55
- From Cayambe Traditional Cooking Class with Transfers: $60
- Quito Best Street Food Tour with a Local Guide: $65
- The Delicious Side of Quito Food Tour: $70
- Food Tour in quaint old town with tastings and lunch: $71
- 3-hour Andean Cooking Class in Quito with a Local Host: $77
- Street Food Tour with Private Transport: $79
- Hidden Gems Food Tour with Cacao Tasting and Culture: $87
- Cooking Class with Chef, Market Tour & Transportation: $88
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Brisbane $25Quito $16
Typical Entertainment Prices in Brisbane
For Brisbane, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Concert Tickets$14
Tours and Activities in Brisbane
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Brisbane.
- Escape to Coochiemudlo Island: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Brisbane Highlights Self Guided Walking Tour with an APP: $12
- Mayhem in Brisbane GPS App Walking Tour Mobile Game: $15
- Fortitude Valley Historical Crime Walking Tour: $22
- True Crime Tour: $22
- Winery Tour and Tasting: $23
- Brisbane Dark Stories True Crime Tour: $24
- True Crime Walking Tour: $25
- Haunted CBD Ghost Tour: $25
- Haunted Brisbane CBD Ghost Tour: $27
- Bloody Brisbane CBD Crime Tour - Crime Tours Australia | Jack Sim: $28
- Solve a Detective Case in a themed adventure: $31
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
- 2 day 1 night tour to Cotopaxi Volcano and Quilotoa Lagoon all included: $280
- 3-Day Adventure: Quito, Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Baños, Jungle: $897
- 3-Day Antisana & Amazon comunities, Caves, Baños Guided Tour: $734
- 6-Day Ecuador Heritage Tour: Art, Culture and Otavalo: $1,847
- Adventure in Chimborazo: Hiking and Ascent from Quito: $160
- Adventure in Quilotoa Lagoon by Lead: $150
- Amazon Adventure: 4 Days of Nature & Culture from Quito: $1,770
- Andean Adventure : Riding and Cotopaxi Refuge: $140
- Antisana Birding Tours to see CONDORS - by Richard Hernandez: $185
- Antisana Condor Tour from Quito: $220
- Antisana Volcano Birding & Natural History Condor Tour PRIVATE, all included: $210
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBrisbane $54Quito $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Brisbane
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Brisbane:
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Evening at the Bar$10
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Sixpack of Beer$9.77
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Guiness Beer$5.93
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Sixpack of Beer$9.07
Sample the Local Flavors in Brisbane
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Brisbane:
- XXXX Brewery Tour: $29
- Afternoon Brisbane Half-Day Brewery Tour: $113
- Island Pub Crawl with Lunch and High-Speed Boat: $116
- Brewery Tour and Beer Tasting in Brisbane: $128
- Full Day Guided Wine Tour in Mt Tamborine From Brisbane: $142
- Brisbane Brewery Full Day Tour with Lunch: $149
- All Inclusive Wine Tour including Distillery & 2 Course Lunch: $160
- Tamborine Wine & Distillery Tour + 2 Course Lunch: $165
- One Hump Camel Farm and Wine Tour: $188
- Luxury Winery Tour with Gourmet Lunch & Distillery: $198
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 Brisbane and Quito, we can see that Brisbane is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Brisbane is in Pacific 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 Brisbane would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Brisbane 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 Brisbane Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Brisbane or Quito?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 46% larger than the population of Brisbane. When comparing the sizes of Brisbane 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.