Which place is cheaper, Quito or Lisbon?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Lisbon or Quito?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Lisbon 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: Lisbon or Quito?
Lisbon
Portugal's capital city of Lisbon continues to grow in popularity as a travel destination. The cultural scene has come to life in recent years and the city itself is stunningly beautiful. It sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and is made up of hills that create a dramatic and scenic layout. The city has many white-bleached limestone buildings, narrow alleyways, and a laidback charm that appeals to visitors.
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 in Portugal, The Best 2-Week Tours in Portugal, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLisbon $140Quito $52
The average daily cost (per person) in Lisbon is $140, 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 Lisbon and Quito in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLisbon $63Quito $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLisbon $126Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Lisbon and Quito
Looking for a hotel in Lisbon 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: Lisbon Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Lisbon $26Quito $6.99
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lisbon
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Lisbon:
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Taxi Ride$6.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lisbon
Also for Lisbon, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Private Transfer to Óbidos | Caldas da Rainha: $56
- Airport Private Transfer to Costa da Caparica | Almada | Aroeira: $33
- Airport Private Transfer to Ericeira | Torres Vedras | Campo Real: $55
- Airport Private Transfer to Lisbon: $23
- Airport Transfer - Lisbon: $60
- Airport Transfer: Lisbon Airport LIS to Lisbon in Business Car: $66
- Airport Transfer: Lisbon Airport LIS to Lisbon in Luxury Van: $95
- Airport Transfer: Lisbon to Lisbon Airport LIS in Business Car: $66
- Arrábida Snorkeling Adventure with Transfer from Lisbon: $87
- Arrival Transfer: Lisbon Airport LIS to Lisbon in Luxury Van: $94
- Cascais transfer: Private Transfer to/from Cascais or Lisbon: $59
- Departure Transfer: Lisbon to Lisbon Airport LIS in Business Car: $65
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:
- Unique Quito Transfer Mariscal Sucre Airport to Hotel: $29
- Transfers To and From the Airport in Quito Ecuador: $35
- Transfers Friends Airport Quito: $40
- Transfer to Mashpi Reserve one way : $99
- Transfer in private vehicle from Quito City - Quito Airport (UIO): $38
- Transfer in or transfer out to Quito airport: $40
- Transfer in or out transportation from Mariscal airport to Quito: $40
- Transfer in and Transfer out: $75
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Quito City - Quito Airport (UIO): $53
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Quito Airport (UIO) - Quito City: $53
- Transfer Out from Quito to the Airport: $39
- Transfer In / Out Quito: $25
Is it cheaper to fly into Lisbon or Quito?
Prices for flights to both Quito and Lisbon 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 dayLisbon $45Quito $20
Typical Food Prices in Lisbon
For Lisbon, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Coffee$2.68
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lisbon
For Lisbon, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Soirée Rivage - Sunset cruise with dinner and Party: $25
- Hard Rock Cafe Lisbon with Set Lunch or Dinner : $28
- Tapas Food Tour: $38
- Fado Show and Portuguese Dinner: $48
- Lisbon Food Tour: $53
- Alfama Tour and Live Fado with Traditional Dinner: $54
- 2-Hour Pastel de Nata Cooking Class: $54
- Cooking Pastel de Nata with a glass of wine !: $54
- Legendary Beer Dinner: $54
- Pastel de Nata Cooking Class in Lisbon: $55
- No Diet Club - Unique food tour in Lisbon with many Tastings: $62
- Original Morning Food Tour: $64
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
- 3 Hours Local Food Tour in Quito: $39
- Guilty Pleasures Walking Food Tours in Quito: $45
- Cooking class In-home space: $75
- Private Famous Food Tour of Historic Old Town in Quito: $95
- Ecuadorian Cooking Class and Local Market Tour: $114
- Ecuadorian Cooking Classes Rooftop (English): $120
- Premium Cooking Class Quito Tour: $130
- Quito Private & All Inclusive Cooking Class with Certified Chef: $235
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Lisbon $26Quito $16
Tours and Activities in Lisbon
For Lisbon, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- See Lisbon Through the Eyes of a Local - Free Walking Tour: $1.08
- Lisbon Walking Tour - The Perfect Introduction to the City: $1.12
- Belém Unveiled: A Free Tour Through the Age of Discoveries: $1.29
- Alfama Walking Tour Lisbon: $3.26
- Tower of Saint George’s Castle Church Ticket & Drink: $5.38
- Wonders of Lisbon Walking Tour: $5.38
- Lisbon Walking Tour: $5.38
- Lisbon Cathedral Entry Ticket: $5.38
- Lisbon Highlights Self Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour: $5.38
- Graça Church Entry Ticket with Drink on the Terrace: $5.38
- A Self-Guided Audio Tour From Príncipe Real to Downtown Lisbon: $5.53
- Príncipe Real to Downtown A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
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:
- Flavors, Colors and History of Quito Private Tour: $185
- Otavalo Market Private Sightseeing and Surroundings: $110
- Tour Full-Day Mercado de Otavalo + Cotacachi, Ecuador.: $130
- 2 Full Days Exploring The Ecuadorian Amazon | Tour Start In Quito: $268
- 2-Day Private Tour from Quito:Baños and Quilotoa Lagoon: $329
- 2-Day Private Tour to Otavalo Market, Cuicocha Lake, Peguche and Condor´s Park: $295
- 2-day Quilotoa Lagoon and the adventure city of Baños: $265
- 3-Day Andes Adventure Visiting Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Baños: $239
- 3-Day Private Tour of Quito: $120
- 3-Days Andes & Amazon | Tour From Quito: $858
- 8 Hours Mindo Cloud Forest Tour from Quito includes Lunch: $100
- All inclusive Quito to Banos 2 day tour: $250
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLisbon $20Quito $17
Sample the Local Flavors in Lisbon
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Lisbon:
- Pub Crawl with Open Bar, Shots, & VIP Club Entry: $17
- Pub Crawl with Unlimited Drinks and VIP Club Entry: $18
- Pub Crawl Lisbon - 1 Hour of Unlimited Beer and Sangria and more!: $19
- 1-Hour Portuguese Wine Tasting Session: $20
- Lisbon Pub Crawl: $21
- Pub Crawl with Open Bar and VIP Club Entry: $21
- Lisbon Pub Crawl: $22
- Lisbon Wild Pub Crawl : $22
- Private Bar Crawl in Lisbon: $22
- Pub Crawl Walking Tour with Shots and Drinking Games: $22
- Beer Tasting in a Classic Brewery: $27
- Pub Crawl Lisbon: $27
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 Lisbon and Quito, we can see that Lisbon is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Lisbon 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 Lisbon would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lisbon 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 Lisbon Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Lisbon or Quito?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Lisbon. When comparing the sizes of Lisbon 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.