Which place is cheaper, Quito or Porto?
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 Porto 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 Porto and Quito can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Porto or Quito?
Porto
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal. It is also the capital of the Northern Region and a hub for commercial and industrial activity. The city is not as large as you might expect, with a population of only about 300,000 residents, but the metropolitan area has a population of about 2.5 million. This includes nearby cities such as Gaia, Matosinhos, Maia and Gondomar.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to Portugal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.
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Porto Prices
Portugal PricesQuito Prices
Ecuador Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPorto $185Quito $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Porto is $185, 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 Porto and Quito in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPorto $83Quito $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPorto $166Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Porto and Quito
Looking for a hotel in Porto 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: Porto Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Porto $24Quito $6.99
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Porto
Also for Porto, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Private Transfer to/from Porto: $44
- Airport Transfer from Porto to Aveiro: $160
- Airport Transfer: Porto Airport OPO to Porto by Luxury Van: $99
- Airport Transfer: Porto to Porto Airport OPO by Luxury Van: $98
- Airport transfer to Porto Premium: $31
- Arrival Private Transfer from Porto Airport OPO to Porto by Sedan: $41
- Arrival Transfer: Porto Airport OPO to Porto in Luxury Van: $98
- Aveiro Private Transfer to Oporto Airport: $139
- Aveiro Private Transfer to Porto: $84
- Departure Transfer from Porto to Porto Airport OPO in Private Car/Van: $103
- Departure Transfer: Porto to Porto Airport OPO by Business Car: $80
- From Private Transfer to Lisbon: $261
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:
- From Quilotoa Lake Private Tour with Transfer & Lunch: $166
- From Mindo Cloud Forest Day Trip with Transfer: $129
- Panoramic City Tour & Airport Departure Transfer: $114
- Middle of the World Tour with Airport Transfer: $114
- Airport Transfer and City Highlights Tour: $114
- Arrival Transfer from Quito Airport UIO to Quito by Sedan or SUV: $105
- Private City Tour & Intiñam Museum Visit w/ Transfer: $89
- Transfer Quito → Papallacta (one way / round trip): $85
- Private Transfer from Quito to Baños de Agua Santa (one way): $80
- Transfer from or to Airport Mariscal Sucre (one way): $75
- Private Transfer from Quito Airport to Hotels in Quito: $70
- Transfer Airport → Quito (one way / round trip): $50
Is it cheaper to fly into Porto or Quito?
Prices for flights to both Quito and Porto 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 dayPorto $73Quito $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Porto
For Porto, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Vegan Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Port Wine: $41
- Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Porto Wine (Lapa): $41
- Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Porto Wine (Sé do Porto): $41
- Porto Food Tour Market Tapas and Port Wine Cellar Experience: $70
- Authentic Porto Small Group Food Tour with Local Tastings: $86
- Shopping, cooking and eating together at my home in Porto: $87
- Aveiro Private Cooking Experience (for vacation rental guests): $87
- Small Group Porto Food Tour Traditional Taverns and Local Dishes: $87
- Porto Food Tour: $87
- Private Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $93
- Food Tour: Wine, Beer & Liquor - Porto’s Secret Spots: $93
- Porto Food Tour of 8 Tastings: Custard Tart, Bifana & Hidden Gems: $96
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quito
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Quito.
- 3 Hours Local Food Tour in Quito: $38
- Quito Eats Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $55
- From Cayambe Traditional Cooking Class with Transfers: $60
- The Delicious Side of Quito Food Tour: $70
- Food Tour in quaint old town with tastings and lunch: $71
- Street Food Tour with Private Transport: $79
- Hidden Gems Food Tour with Cacao Tasting and Culture: $87
- Cooking Class with Chef, Market Tour & Transportation: $88
- 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
- Ecuadorian Cooking Class with a chef and Local Market: $100
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Porto $29Quito $16
Tours and Activities in Porto
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Porto.
- Self-Guided Tour Adventure Discovering Porto: $1.14
- Self-Guided Tapas Tour of Porto: $3.47
- The Unvanquished Tour in Porto City Center: $3.47
- Porto Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $3.47
- Porto Revealed The Must Do Walking Tour: $3.48
- Porto Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $3.48
- Porto's #1 Walking Tour: $3.48
- Porto (Gaia) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $3.48
- Tour of Vila Nova de Gaia: $3.48
- Porto's Old Town Tour & Ribeira: $3.48
- Porto - Origin & Present - Guided Tour: $3.48
- Porto Old Town Hidden Gems and Douro Views Walking Tour: $3.48
Typical Entertainment Prices in Quito
Here are a few typical costs in Quito for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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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:
- 2 day 1 night tour to Cotopaxi Volcano and Quilotoa Lagoon all included: $280
- 3-Day Adventure: Quito, Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Baños, Jungle: $897
- 3-Day Andes Adventure Visiting Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Baños: $239
- 3-Day Antisana & Amazon comunities, Caves, Baños Guided Tour: $734
- 6-Day Ecuador Heritage Tour: Art, Culture and Otavalo: $1,847
- All-Inclusive Private Mindo Cloud Forest Tour from Quito: $220
- Amazon Adventure: 4 Days of Nature & Culture from Quito: $1,770
- Andean Adventure : Riding and Cotopaxi Refuge: $140
- Antisana Volcano Condor Birdwatching Private Experience: $90
- Antisana Volcano Private Day Tour from Quito: $266
- Antisana volcano private tour; birding and hike in the Andes: $130
- Authentic Cloud Forest Experience: $299
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPorto $22Quito $17
Sample the Local Flavors in Porto
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:
- Crazy Pub Crawl with 9 Drinks, Free Shots, Wild Games +VIP: $15
- Porto:Pub Crawl 4Bars,8Drinks,Games & VIP Club Entry: $21
- Chocolate and Wine Tasting Activity in Matosinhos Portugal: $24
- Poças Guided Visit and Wine Tasting of 2 DOC Douro & 1 Port Wine: $27
- Poças Guided Visit and Wine Tasting of 3 Port Wines: $27
- Premium wine tasting at Quinta das Arcas: $28
- Classic Wine Tasting with GUIDED TOUR: $29
- Taylor's Port Cellars Visit & Port Wine Tasting: $29
- Fado Concert with Port Wine Tasting at Quinta da Boeira: $29
- Authentic Oporto Walking Tour with Wine Tasting: $32
- Cálem Cellar Tour, Live Fado Show and Wine Tasting: $32
- Porto City Tour with Wine Tasting: $39
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 Porto and Quito, we can see that Porto is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Porto 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 Porto would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Porto 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 Porto Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Porto or Quito?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Porto. When comparing the sizes of Porto 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.