Which place is cheaper, Atlanta or Quito?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Quito or Atlanta?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Quito or Atlanta? 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: Quito or Atlanta?
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.
Atlanta
Atlanta is a city rich in history but modern in its development and industry. It has a population of just under 500,000 with more than five million people living in the metropolitan area. It is also the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States The city is rich in culture and was at the center of the civil rights movement. It is the capital of the state of Georgia, and was home to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. It has the world's busiest airport and arguably some of the country's worst traffic, but the residents are recognized for their friendly and welcoming nature and the city is lush with green trees and wonderful parks.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador, The Best Historical Tours in United States of America, and The Best 10-Day Tours in United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayQuito $52Atlanta $173
The average daily cost (per person) in Quito is $52, while the average daily cost in Atlanta is $173. 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 Quito and Atlanta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personQuito $22Atlanta $90
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomQuito $44Atlanta $180
Compare Hotels in Quito and Atlanta
Looking for a hotel in Quito or Atlanta? 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: Quito Hotel Prices and Atlanta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Quito $6.99Atlanta $44
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:
- 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 to Mashpi Reserve one way : $99
- 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 Transfers Quito to Tena: $65
- Private Transfer In from International Airport Mariscal Sucre to Quito : $60
- Private Transfer Quito Airport To Quito City/hotel : $57
- Airport Transfer- Hotel in Quito 1 Way: $55
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Atlanta
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Atlanta:
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MARTA Subway Ticket$4.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Atlanta
Also for Atlanta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arrival Transfer: Atlanta Airport ATL to Atlanta in Luxury SUV: $133
- Atlanta Airport (ATL) to Atlanta - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $214
- Atlanta Airport (ATL) to Lithia Springs -Arrival Private Transfer: $36
- Atlanta to Atlanta Airport (ATL) Departure Private Transfer: $97
- Departure Transfer: Atlanta to Atlanta Airport ATL by Luxury SUV: $127
- Departure Transfer: Atlanta to Atlanta Airport ATL in Luxury SUV: $133
- Hartsfield Jackson Airport (ATL) to Lithia Springs - Arrival Private Transfer: $33
- Hartsfield Jackson Airport (ATL) to Lithia Springs - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $66
- Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Airport (ATL) to Atlanta - Arrival Private Transfer: $97
- Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Airport (ATL) to Atlanta - Roundtrip Private Transfer: $194
- Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Airport (ATL):Transfer to Atlanta: $280
- Private Arrival Transfer from Atlanta Airport (ATL): $80
Is it cheaper to fly into Quito or Atlanta?
Prices for flights to both Atlanta and Quito 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 dayQuito $20Atlanta $43
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
Typical Food Prices in Atlanta
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Atlanta:
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Fast Food Lunch (for 2)$15
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Lunch$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Atlanta
For Atlanta, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 2 Hour Guided Wood Fired Pizza Class in Atlanta: $55
- City Lights Atlanta Night-Time Tour with Photos & Dinner Stop: $65
- City Lights Night Tour with Photos & Dinner Stop: $65
- 2 Hour Historic Market Food Tour and Hands-On Biscuit Class: $70
- Historic Market Food Tour and Biscuit Cooking Class: $70
- Ponce City Market 2.5-Hour Weekend Food Tour: $99
- Food Tour of Inman Park and the Atlanta Beltline: $99
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Quito $16Atlanta $56
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
Tours and Activities in Atlanta
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Atlanta.
- Civil Rights Self-Guided Audio App Walking Tour: $6.75
- Atlanta Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour: $9.00
- Olympic Park & Pemberton Place: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.99
- Civil Rights Movement in A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
- Atlanta Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $13
- Atlanta Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $13
- SkyView Ferris Wheel Ticket: $16
- Atlanta Scavenger Hunt Adventure: $18
- Skip the Ticket Line: World of Coca-Cola Admission in Atlanta: $23
- World of Coca-Cola Skip-the-Ticket-Line Entry: $23
- LEGO® Discovery Center Admission Ticket: $28
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayQuito $17Atlanta $17
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 Atlanta
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Atlanta:
- Drag Queen Guided Pub Crawl and Cabaret Show: $36
- ATLANTA Yes, Queen! Drag Queen Pub Crawl : $40
- Half-Day Wine Tastings in the North Georgia Mountains : $115
- North Georgia Mountains Two Vineyard Wine Tasting Tour: $137
- Bartram Trail Hike plus Wine Tasting: $159
- North Georgia Mountains Three Vineyard Wine Tasting Tour: $165
- North Georgia Mountains Private Three Vineyard Wine Tasting Tour: $180
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Quito and Atlanta, we can see that Atlanta is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Quito is in South America and Atlanta is in North 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 Atlanta would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Atlanta 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 Quito Expensive? and Is Atlanta Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Quito or Atlanta?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Atlanta. When comparing the sizes of Quito and Atlanta, 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.