Which place is cheaper, Quito or Milan?
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 Milan or Quito?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Milan and Quito can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Milan or Quito?
Milan
Milan, known to most of the world as the capital of fashion and style, is also the heart of Italian industry and economics. Between the stock exchange, cathedrals and boutiques, this metropolis is a city-lover's dream come true. It is an escape from the stresses of the real world, and provides a playground for all the world's most lavish luxuries.
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 Sightseeing Tours in Italy, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Italy, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.
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Milan Prices
Italy PricesQuito Prices
Ecuador Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMilan $229Quito $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Milan is $229, 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 Milan and Quito in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMilan $113Quito $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMilan $226Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Milan and Quito
Looking for a hotel in Milan 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: Milan Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Milan $41Quito $6.99
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Milan
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Milan:
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Train to Airport$8.21
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Malpensa Airport Train (for Two)$26
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Taxi From Airport$106
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Public Transit Day Pass$5.28
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Short Taxi Ride$8.36
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Milan
Also for Milan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Milan to Bergamo Airport (BGY) - Departure Private Transfer : $172
- Airport Transfer: Malpensa Airport MXP to Milan by Luxury Van: $161
- Airport Transfer: Milan to Linate Airport LIN by Luxury Car: $159
- Airport Transfer: Milan to Malpensa Airport MXP by Luxury Van: $161
- Arrival Private Transfer Luxury Van LIN airport to Milan: $96
- Arrival Private Transfer: Malpensa Airport MXP to Milan in Luxury Van: $161
- Arrival Transfer: Linate Airport LIN to Milan by Business Car: $141
- BERGAMO ORIO AL SERIO - Milano airport transfer with private Luxury Van: $204
- Bergamo Airport (BGY) to Sirmione - Arrival Private Transfer: $175
- Cervinia: Private Transfer to/from Malpensa Airport: $552
- Champoluc: Private Transfer to/from Malpensa Airport: $529
- From Linate airport : Private 1-Way Transfer to Bellagio: $400
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:
- Minibus Departure Transfer from Quito City to Quito Airport UIO: $134
- Arrival Private Transfer Quito Airport UIO to Quito by Minivan: $124
- Transfer In & Out from Quito: $100
- Arrival Transfer from Quito Airport UIO to Quito by Sedan or SUV: $95
- Transfer from or to Airport Mariscal Sucre (one way): $75
- Private transfer to Mindo: $70
- Private Transfer Out From Quito to International Airport Mariscal Sucre: $60
- Private Transfer In from International Airport Mariscal Sucre to Quito : $60
- Private Transfer Quito Airport To Quito City/hotel : $57
- Private Transfers / Discover Mindo: Full Day of Adventure Tour: $55
- Quito Airport (UIO) to Quito hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $48
- Private Transfer IN from to the International Airport Mariscal Sucre to Quito: $48
Is it cheaper to fly into Milan or Quito?
Prices for flights to both Quito and Milan 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 dayMilan $79Quito $34
Typical Food Prices in Milan
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Milan:
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Snack at Train Station$10
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Restaurant Pizza$7.74
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Casual Cafe Lunch (for Two)$32
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Three Course Dinner (for Two)$75
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Cappuccino$1.91
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Milan
For Milan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $32
- Milan Gourmet Food Tour and Sightseeing with Local Guide: $42
- Milan Street Food Tour and City Sightseeing with Local Guide: $42
- Delicious Food Tour and City Center Sightseeing: $46
- International aperitif + cooking class in Italian: $48
- only in ITALIAN - International aperitif + cooking class in Italian: $49
- Street Food Tour with Tastings and Local Guide: $49
- Gourmet Street Food Tour with Sightseeing and Tasting: $49
- Tasty Milan Street Food Tour with Local Guide: $50
- Delicious Milan Street Food Tour Tasting and Sightseeing with Local Guide: $51
- Eating Milan Street Food Tour with Guided Tasting and Sightseeing: $54
- Pasta and Tiramisu Small Group Cooking Class with Wine: $66
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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Milan $36Quito $16
Typical Entertainment Prices in Milan
For Milan, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Stairs to Duomo Rooftop$8.21
Tours and Activities in Milan
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Milan.
- Milan's Best-Kept Secrets: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $1.17
- Self Guided Tours In Milan With 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.57
- Milan Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $4.81
- Milan Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $5.12
- Stories of the Fashion Capital: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Milan: $6.99
- Branca Tower Entrance Ticket: $7.00
- Royal Self-Guided Story Puzzle Adventure: $7.15
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Milan: $7.20
- Milano Walking Tour with Audio and Written Guide by a Local: $7.21
- Mysteries of Uncover the city's lesser-known tales on this audio tour: $7.99
- Milan Walking Tour with Audioguide on Your Smartphone: $8.40
- Duomo Milan Cathedral Walking Tour with Audioguide (no ticket): $8.40
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:
- 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
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMilan $28Quito $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Milan
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Milan:
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Cocktail at a Bar$9.85
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Beer$3.93
Sample the Local Flavors in Milan
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Milan:
- Milan Pub Crawl Party with Free Shots and Drink Deals by Riviera: $30
- Guided Riviera Bar Crawl with Free Shots: $37
- Wine Tasting Experience with Platter at Winelovers: $44
- Wine Tasting Experience: $48
- Wine Tasting Experience in the City Centre: $52
- Wine Tasting Experience in Milan City Center: $54
- Milan Wine Tasting Experience: $57
- Italian Wine Tasting in Milan: $58
- Wine Tasting Experience - Urban Cellar: $60
- Fun Wine Tasting with an Italian Sommelier: $76
- Fun Wine Tasting with the most italian Sommelier in Milan: $82
- Private Food and Wine Tasting Experience in the Center of Milan: $95
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 Milan and Quito, we can see that Milan is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Milan 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 Milan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Milan 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 Milan Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Milan or Quito?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 7% larger than the population of Milan. When comparing the sizes of Milan 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.