A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers La Plata vs. Quito for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit La Plata 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 La Plata and Quito can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: La Plata or Quito?

La Plata

Just over an hour from Buenos Aires, the bustling university city of La Plata is notable for being South America's first planned city. Indeed, also known as the City of Diagonal, La Plata's intricate grid system includes diagonal streets that run through it, contributing to easy navigation but confusing intersections.La Plata is the Capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, the main Argentine state, so you will find lots of elaborate government buildings alongside leafy green plazas in this laid back as well as active city. La Plata is a happening university town with a population of over 700,000. You can walk the width of it in under an hour, stopping at trendy craft beer bars, local music joints, and great restaurants along the way. Also, football is a religion in Argentina and if you're looking for some local atmosphere, La Plata is the place to go! Two of Argentina's biggest football teams, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and Estudiantes de La Plata challenge each other each year. If you are around during that special day for the city, you will witness thousands of fans wearing the relevant colours heading off to watch the match and parade by calle 7.

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Buenos Aires, The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.


Which place is cheaper, Quito or La Plata?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in La Plata is $8.75, while the average daily cost in Quito is $52. 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 La Plata and Quito in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    La Plata $3.52
    Quito $22
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    La Plata $7.04
    Quito $44
Compare Hotels in La Plata and Quito

Looking for a hotel in La Plata 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.

Hotels in La Plata


Hotels in Quito


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: La Plata Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    La Plata $2.51
    Quito $6.99

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:

  • Private Transpor for tours, transfers, visits, etc, for 8 hours: $165
  • From Quilotoa Lake Private Tour with Transfer & Lunch: $145
  • From Mindo Cloud Forest Day Trip with Transfer: $119
  • Quito Airport Private Transfer Service: $112
  • Transfer In & Out from Quito: $100
  • Private City Tour & Intiñam Museum Visit w/ Transfer: $94
  • Private Transfer from Quito to Baños or Baños to Quito (one way): $90
  • Transfer in and Transfer out: $75
  • Private transfer to Mindo: $70
  • Private Transfer Hotels in Quito to Mariscal Sucre Int. Airport: $70
  • Private Transfers Quito to Tena: $65
  • Private Transfer In from International Airport Mariscal Sucre to Quito : $60

Is it cheaper to fly into La Plata or Quito?

Prices for flights to both Quito and La Plata 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 day
    La Plata $3.43
    Quito $20
Typical Food Prices in La Plata

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to La Plata:


  • Ice Cream
    $0.01

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: $35
  • Guilty Pleasures Walking Food Tours in Quito: $45
  • Cooking class In-home space: $75
  • Cooking Class in Quito with Chef, Market Tour and Transportation: $88
  • Jacchigua Show Including Dinner + Transfer: $92
  • Ecuadorian Cooking Class and Local Market Tour: $114
  • Ecuadorian Cooking Classes Rooftop (English): $120
  • Premium Cooking Class Quito Tour: $140
  • Premium Cooking Class Quito Tour : $160
  • Traditional Cooking & Local Spirit and the Equator line Tour: $199
  • Quito Private & All Inclusive Cooking Class with Certified Chef: $235

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    La Plata $2.19
    Quito $16
Typical Entertainment Prices in La Plata

For La Plata, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Sciencias Naturales Museum Entrance Fee
    $0.01

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:

  • Otavalo Market Private Sightseeing and Surroundings: $110
  • The best of Quito walking tour: $260
  • 1 Day Cultural Tour Otavalo And Cuicocha Lagoon: $65
  • 2-Day Private Tour from Quito:Baños and Quilotoa Lagoon: $329
  • 2-Day Tour of Cotopaxi Volcano and Quilotoa Lagoon with hotel: $222
  • 3-Day Andes Adventure Visiting Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Baños: $239
  • 3-Day Private Tour of Quito: $120
  • 3-Days Andes & Amazon | Tour From Quito: $865
  • 8 Hours Mindo Cloud Forest Tour from Quito : $100
  • All inclusive Quito to Banos 2 day tour: $250
  • Andes Tour 2 days 1 night: Cotopaxi + Quilotoa: $180
  • Antisana Volcano Birding & Natural History Condor Tour PRIVATE, all included: $185

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    La Plata $1.22
    Quito $17

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


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Plata and Quito, we can see that Quito is more expensive. And not only is La Plata much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to La Plata would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Plata 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 Quito would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Quito than you might in La Plata.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is La Plata Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, La Plata or Quito?

Quito has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of La Plata. When comparing the sizes of La Plata 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.