Which place is cheaper, Quito or Coimbra?
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 Coimbra or Quito?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Coimbra or Quito? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Coimbra or Quito?
Coimbra
Coimbra is located in Central Portugal in the Centro Region. It's the third largest city in the country with about 460,000 people living in the entire region. It is also where you'll find the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest universities in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese speaking world. During the High Middle Ages, Coimbra served as the nation's capital and there are archaeological structures that date back to the Roman era.
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 Food and Culinary Tours in Portugal, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Portugal, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.
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Coimbra Prices
Portugal PricesQuito Prices
Ecuador Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCoimbra $160Quito $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Coimbra is $160, 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 Coimbra and Quito in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCoimbra $51Quito $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCoimbra $102Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Coimbra and Quito
Looking for a hotel in Coimbra 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: Coimbra Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Coimbra $12Quito $6.99
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Coimbra
Also for Coimbra, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Fátima Private Transfer to/from Lisbon: $159
- Private Transfer Coimbra to Aveiro Costa Nova: $294
- Private transfer from/to Fatima - Porto, Coimbra or Aveiro: $270
- Transfer Viseu - Porto: $169
- Transfer from Lisboa to Coimbra with visit to Fátima Sanctuary, half day: $199
- Transfers Aveiro or Coimbra to Lisbon Airport: $157
- Viseu Private Transfer to Oporto Airport: $117
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:
- Transfers To and From the Airport in Quito Ecuador: $35
- Transfer from or to UIO Airport to any Hotel in Quito: $30
- Transfer Quito → Papallacta (one way / round trip): $85
- Transfer Out from Quito to the Airport: $30
- Transfer Airport Quito-Hotel or vice versa with bilingual driver-guide: $43
- Quito hotels to Quito Airport (UIO) - Departure Private Transfer: $24
- Quito hotels to Mariscal Sucre Quito Airport (UIO) - Departure Private Transfer: $21
- Quito PRIVATE Departure Transfer from Hotels to the Airport: $36
- Quito PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotels: $28
- Quito PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotels: $28
- Quito Airport ↔ Quito Hotels Private Transfer Service: $27
- Private Transfer to Quito airport and hotel: $35
Is it cheaper to fly into Coimbra or Quito?
Prices for flights to both Quito and Coimbra 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 dayCoimbra $96Quito $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Coimbra
For Coimbra, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Erotic Cabaret Show and Dinner: $64
- Bairrada Food Tour: $115
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
- Quito Eats Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $55
- Quito Best Street Food Tour with a Local Guide: $66
- The Delicious Side of Quito Food Tour: $70
- 3-hour Andean Cooking Class in Quito with a Local Host: $85
- Cooking Class in Quito with Chef, Market Tour and Transportation: $88
- Cooking Class with a chef and local market including hotel pickup: $89
- Private Famous Food Tour of Historic Old Town in Quito: $95
- Premium Cooking Class Quito Tour: $122
- Quito Food Tour Where my Family Go Urban Art New &Old Quito City: $155
- Cooking Class at the Andes & Roses: PRIVATE Day trip from Quito: $178
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Coimbra $21Quito $16
Tours and Activities in Coimbra
For Coimbra, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Coimbra Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $3.51
- Tomar Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $4.52
- Leiria Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self Guided Tour: $4.52
- Highlights Walking Tour With a Certified Guide: $5.82
- TOP Coimbra : Private Guided Tour with your mobile: $5.87
- Coimbra Audio Guided Walking Tour 2h25 and 25 Audio Comments: $6.93
- Coimbra’s Timeless Tracks: An Enchanting Train Tour: $8.73
- Kings, Scholars and Rebels Self Guided Tour of Coimbra: $9.00
- Coimbra’s Jewish Heritage An Audio Tour of the Medieval Town: $9.99
- Shepherds and Secrets: Audio Tour of Fátima’s Sacred Sites: $9.99
- Pilgrims and Pioneers: A Self-Guided Tour Audio of Tomar: $9.99
- Private & Flexible Walking Tour in Historic Center: $10
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
- 3-Day Andes Adventure Visiting Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Baños: $239
- All-Inclusive Private Mindo Cloud Forest Tour from Quito: $220
- Andean Adventure : Riding and Cotopaxi Refuge: $140
- Antisana Condor Tour from Quito: $220
- Antisana Volcano Birding & Natural History Condor Tour PRIVATE, all included: $210
- Baños Full Day Tour from Quito Including Entrances and Activities: $89
- Banos Highlights Tour - Adventure & Nature in One Day from Quito: $260
- Cable Car Quito & Volcano Pichincha Trekking – Full Day Tour: $200
- Cable Car and Quito Private City Tour: $89
- City Tour in Quito. Muffin, Cable Car, Historic Center and Middle of the World: $150
- Cotopaxi & Baños Full Day Tour from Quito Adventure in the Andes: $300
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCoimbra $14Quito $17
Sample the Local Flavors in Coimbra
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Coimbra:
- Guided Wine Tasting with Regional Bites: $31
- Coimbra Food and Wine Tasting Private Guided Walk: $41
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Quito
Also in Quito, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Ecuador Spirit Craft Brewery Tasting and Latitude 0 Private Tour: $155
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Coimbra and Quito, we can see that Coimbra is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Coimbra 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 Coimbra would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Coimbra 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 Coimbra Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Coimbra or Quito?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Coimbra. When comparing the sizes of Coimbra 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.