Which place is cheaper, Koh Tao or Quito?
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 Quito or Koh Tao?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Quito or Koh Tao? 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 Koh Tao?
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.
Koh Tao
With a name that literally means, "Turtle Island," Koh Tao, Thailand is the type of vacation spot divers dream of. There is the faintest current and a buffet of dive sites and shops.
This tiny island hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, but take not that there are no garbage disposal facilities. Everything that can't be burnt needs to be taken from the island. Avoid plastic bags, and don't dump your trash in the open landscape (then again, why would you?) because there are no departments for road clean up. Water and electricity on the island are scarce, so use them wisely.
Keep in mind that monsoon season from November to January so you may be faced with constant rain for days at a time in those months.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador, The Best Tours for Seniors to Thailand, and The Best Contiki Tours to Thailand.
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Quito Prices
Ecuador PricesKoh Tao Prices
Thailand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayQuito $66Koh Tao $48
The average daily cost (per person) in Quito is $66, while the average daily cost in Koh Tao is $48. 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 Koh Tao in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personQuito $22Koh Tao $16
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomQuito $44Koh Tao $32
Compare Hotels in Quito and Koh Tao
Looking for a hotel in Quito or Koh Tao? 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 Koh Tao Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Quito $6.99Koh Tao $9.66
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
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Koh Tao
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Koh Tao:
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Motorbike Rental$5.78
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Chumpon to Koh Tao Ferry$20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Koh Tao
Also for Koh Tao, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Convenient Catamaran and Bus Transfer from Koh Tao to Krabi: $62
- Koh Tao to Krabi High Speed Catamaran with Bus Transfer: $55
Is it cheaper to fly into Quito or Koh Tao?
Prices for flights to both Koh Tao 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 $34Koh Tao $18
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
Typical Food Prices in Koh Tao
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Koh Tao:
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Sit Down Lunch (for One)$6.08
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Breakfast$4.56
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Casual Breakfast (for Two)$3.65
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Fancy Dinner (for Two)$15
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Pancake$2.13
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American Breakfast (for Two)$8.51
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Dinner at Bam Bam (for Two)$8.21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Koh Tao
For Koh Tao, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Half Day Thai Cooking Class with Sea View from Koh Tao: $62
- Memorable Thai Cooking Class with Stunning View from Koh Tao: $67
- Koh Tao Private Rooftop Thai Cooking Class with Scenic View: $214
- Private Thai Cooking Class at Rooftop Kitchen on Koh Tao: $254
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Quito $16Koh Tao $29
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Koh Tao
For Koh Tao, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Kayak Rental (One Hour)$7.60
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Snorkel Rental$3.04
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Kayak and Snorkel (2)$3.04
Tours and Activities in Koh Tao
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Koh Tao.
- No Rush Morning & Afternoon 5 Stop Snorkeling tour for Koh Tao: $28
- Snorkelling Trip 5 Island Tour Around Koh Tao and Koh Nang yuan: $29
- 5 Islands Full-Day Tour Around Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan: $29
- Ko Tao: Ko Nangyuan & Hidden Bays Snorkeling Tour with Lunch: $29
- Koh Tao Top Crystal Clear Snorkeling Day Tour by Big Boat: $30
- Koh Nang Yuan and Koh Tao 5 Point Snorkeling Tour: $31
- Full day snorkeling adventure around Koh Tao: $31
- Snorkel Tour to Koh Nangyuan and the hidden bays of Koh Tao onboard the Oxygen: $33
- Koh Tao's First Light Snorkel Adventure with Oxygen Tours: $35
- Koh Tao Snorkeling Tour to Hidden Bays and Koh Nang Yuan: $42
- Premium Snorkel Tour to the Bays of Koh Tao onboard the Oxygen: $46
- CocoTipAdventures and Snorkel with Meals-BBQs-Cocktail-Sunset: $53
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayQuito $17Koh Tao $7.96
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
Typical Alcohol Prices in Koh Tao
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Koh Tao from other travelers:
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Beer$1.98
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Bottle of Wine$11
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Quito and Koh Tao, we can see that Quito is more expensive. And not only is Koh Tao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Quito is in South America and Koh Tao is in Asia, 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 Koh Tao would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Koh Tao 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 Quito would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Quito than you might in Koh Tao.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Quito Expensive? and Is Koh Tao Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Quito or Koh Tao?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 1010 times larger than the population of Koh Tao. When comparing the sizes of Quito and Koh Tao, 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.