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

Should you visit Marseille or Quito?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Marseille or Quito, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Marseille or Quito?

Marseille

Marseille is the second largest city in France and is the largest Mediterranean port in the region. For visitors, Marseille offers an authentic glimpse at France. It has many colorful markets, natural beauty such as the Calanques with its large, beautiful cliffs, and the old harbor area, which offers a glimpse at the areas working class history.

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 Contiki Tours to France, The Best G Adventures Tours to France, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.


Which place is cheaper, Quito or Marseille?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Marseille is $210, 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 Marseille and Quito in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Marseille $83
    Quito $22
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Marseille $166
    Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Marseille and Quito

Looking for a hotel in Marseille 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 Marseille


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: Marseille Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Marseille $33
    Quito $6.99
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Marseille

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Marseille:


  • Metro Pass
    $3.52

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marseille

Also for Marseille, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Airport transfer service - Avignon: $227
  • Arrival Transfer: MRS Airport to Marseille by Business Car: $125
  • Arrival Transfer: MRS Airport to Marseille by Luxury Van: $130
  • Cruise Port ↔ Marseille Provence Airport Transfer: $114
  • Departure Transfer: Marseille to MRS Airport in Luxury Van: $131
  • Marseille Airport (MRS) to Arles city - Arrival Private Transfer: $165
  • Marseille Airport (MRS): Transfer to Marseille Cruise Port: $226
  • Marseille Airport Transfer to Cruise Port: $167
  • Marseille Airport Transfer to Marseille or Aix en Provence: $179
  • Marseille Airport Transfer to St Rémy de Provence: $247
  • Marseille Airport to Aix en Provence Hotel: Private Transfers: $42
  • Marseille Airport transfer for Cassis hotel and apartment : $72

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:

  • Transfers To and From the Airport in Quito Ecuador: $35
  • Transfer from or to Airport Mariscal Sucre (one way): $75
  • Transfer Private Airport–Hotel in Quito: $39
  • Transfer Out from Quito to the Airport: $30
  • Transfer In from Quito's Airport to the city: $39
  • Transfer In & Out from Quito: $100
  • Transfer Airport Quito-Hotel with bilingual driver: $43
  • Quito airport private transfer IN or OUT: $28
  • Quito PRIVATE Departure Transfer from Hotels to the Airport: $36
  • Quito PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotels: $36
  • Quito PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotels: $28
  • Quito PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotels: $28

Is it cheaper to fly into Marseille or Quito?

Prices for flights to both Quito and Marseille 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
    Marseille $86
    Quito $34
Typical Food Prices in Marseille

For Marseille, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Orangina
    $2.93

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marseille

For Marseille, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Web-cooking workshop / French cuisine or French pastry: $38
  • Marseille Miam Miam Food tour: $114
  • Marseille Food Tour – Full Meal of Local Tastes by Do Eat Better: $119
  • Aix-en-Provence 3-Hour Walking Food Tour: $129
  • Private Food Tour in Marseille 3 Hours with a local expert.: $155

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quito

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Quito.

  • Quito Cooking Class Shared Experience: $59
  • Ecuador Food Tour: $69
  • Cooking Class in Quito with Chef, Market Tour and Transportation: $88
  • Cooking Class with a chef and local market including hotel pickup: $89
  • Tour Quito with Cooking Class with Professional Chef: $95
  • Quito Private Best Street Food Tour with a Local Guide: $114
  • Ecuadorian Cooking Classes Rooftop (English): $120
  • Premium Cooking Class Quito Tour : $135
  • Cooking Class at the Andes & Roses: PRIVATE Day trip from Quito: $149
  • Quito Food Tour Where my Family Go Urban Art New and Old Quito: $155

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Marseille $44
    Quito $16

Tours and Activities in Marseille

For Marseille, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Marseille Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $4.80
  • Marseille Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $5.81
  • Marseille Old Town Exploration Game and Tour: $7.20
  • Marseille City Self-Guided Walking Tour: $9.99
  • entry ticket to the Sky Center panoramic terrace: $17
  • Château D’If Entry Ticket: $18
  • OM Stadium Tour: $25
  • Ecopark Adventures Treetop Adventure: $28
  • Cosquer Cave Entry Ticket and Audio Guide: $29
  • Marseille Grand E-Bike Tour : "le tour du Fada": $42
  • Marseille city : easy seaside ebike tour: $44
  • Cassis : Two Calanques Tour by Electric Mountain Bike: $48

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:

  • A Full-Day Private Adventure Antisana Andean Volcano: $100
  • The best of Quito walking tour: $283
  • Tour Full-Day Mercado de Otavalo + Cotacachi, Ecuador.: $75
  • 2-Day Tour of Cotopaxi Volcano and Quilotoa Lagoon with hotel: $222
  • 3-Day Andes Adventure Visiting Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Baños: $239
  • Adventure in Quilotoa Lagoon by Lead: $150
  • All Inclusive Mindo Cloud Forest in a Private Full Day Tour: $130
  • Andean Adventure : Riding and Cotopaxi Refuge: $140
  • Antisana Volcano Birding & Natural History Condor Tour PRIVATE, all included: $198
  • Antisana Volcano Day Tour from Quito: $120
  • Antisana Volcano Private Tour: $103
  • Antisana volcano private tour; birding and hike in the Andes: $130

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Marseille $32
    Quito $17

Sample the Local Flavors in Marseille

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marseille:

  • Marseille Riviera Bar Crawl Party with Free Shots and VIP Entry: $24
  • Tailored Wine Tasting Experience in a Top Wine Shop: $75
  • Short Day Tour around Aix en Provence and Wine Tasting : $131
  • Côtes du Rhône Wine tour: Avignon, Palace of the Popes: $179
  • From Marseille Cruise Port : Avignon & Wine Tasting: $187
  • Marseille Shore Excursion - Full Day Wine Tour in Provence: $198
  • Avignon and Côtes du Rhône Wine Tasting Tour: $211
  • From Marseille : Sidecar Wine Tour to Cassis and Bandol: $289
  • Cassis, Bandol, Le Castellet wine tour: Cliffs and Vineyards: $411
  • Marseille Vieux Port & Wine Tasting - Private Tour: $1,116

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

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 Marseille and Quito, we can see that Marseille is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Marseille 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 Marseille would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Marseille 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 Marseille Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Marseille or Quito?

Quito has a larger population, and is about 76% larger than the population of Marseille. When comparing the sizes of Marseille 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.