Which place is cheaper, Quito or Split?
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 Split or Quito?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Split and Quito. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Split or Quito?
Split
Spit is a historic city in Central Dalmatia with many opportunities to glimpse its fascinating past in its historic city center. Centuries ago the city grew up around a Diocletian palace that was used as refuge by the locals.
Today, as you wander around the historic center, you can see the remains of the Roman walls, temples, and squares. Despite it's appeal to tourists, Split is much more than just a tourist destination. It is larger than you might initially realize and it spreads well beyond the historic center. There is a population of about 300,000 in the larger area and it is an economic center for the region.
Split has a beautiful climate with mild winters, countless sunny days, and a generally pleasant temperature. As such, there are many opportunities to enjoy yourself outdoors, whether by participating in sports or walking around the city's quaint streets. Winters in Split are also quite mild, but there may be one snowy day, on average, every year. This rare snowfall can cause a significant disruption in the flow of traffic.
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 Walking Tours in Croatia, The Best Luxury Tours to Croatia, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.
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Split Prices
Croatia PricesQuito Prices
Ecuador Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySplit $148Quito $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Split is $148, 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 Split and Quito in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSplit $86Quito $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSplit $172Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Split and Quito
Looking for a hotel in Split 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: Split Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Split $17Quito $6.99
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Split
Also for Split, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Private Transfer from Split: $40
- Airport Private Transfer to Split : $40
- Airport Transfer from Split: $46
- Airport Transfer to Split: $46
- Airport transfers - round trip: $160
- Airport(Resnik) to or from Split transfer: $70
- Cruise Port of Split to Split hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $84
- Direct Transfer In Private Car From Split To Dubrovnik: $262
- Ferry Transfers Between Split and Hvar: $40
- From Split Airport to Baska Voda (Private Transfer, Free WiFi): $178
- From Split Airport to Sibenik (Round Trip, Private Transfer): $182
- From Split Airport to Sibenik, Private Transfer, max 8: $118
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:
- 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 Split or Quito?
Prices for flights to both Quito and Split 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 daySplit $48Quito $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Split
For Split, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Small Group Food Tour with Private Option: $53
- Split Food Tour: Discover Split One Bite at a Time: $140
- Split Food Tour: Discover Split One Bite At A Time: $143
- A Vineyard Feast: A Group Dinner and Wine Tasting: $199
- Split Cooking Class: $210
- Split Cooking Class - Afternoon Edition Shared Activity: $210
- Vegan Cooking Class with Local Market Tour in Split: $210
- Cooking class on island Brac: $251
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.Split $4.36Quito $16
Tours and Activities in Split
For Split, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Split Quest Experience: Discover the City: $5.99
- Explore the Roman Splendor of Split on a Self Guided Walking Tour: $6.93
- Diocletian's Palace & Old Town Guided Walking Tour: $9.36
- Split Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $9.53
- Walking tour of Diocletian's Palace in Split: $9.54
- Quest Experience in Marjan Hill Witch Hunt: $12
- Split's Old Town and Marjan Hill: A Self Guided Audio Tour: $12
- Trogir Open Top Bus Trip + Free Split Walking Tour: $13
- Klis Fortress GOT and Olive Museum Entry Tickets: $14
- Museum of Illusions Entrance Ticket: $14
- Adriatic Blues and Roman Clues Split Audio Tour: $15
- Sightseeing Split's Roman Ruins: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
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 daySplit $9.35Quito $17
Sample the Local Flavors in Split
Also in Split, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Diocletian's Palace Walking and Wine Tasting Tour: $18
- Tower Pub Crawl in Split: $32
- From Krka Waterfalls, Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $44
- From Krka Waterfalls, Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $45
- Split/Trogir: Krka National Park Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $49
- From Krka Waterfalls day tour & wine tasting: $49
- Krka National Park Tour with tour Guide & Wine tasting from Split & Trogir: $50
- Wine Tasting at Seafront Tasting Room in Kastela: $54
- Split&Sip: Educational wine tasting: $56
- Educational wine tasting in Split: $57
- Wine Tasting in the Diocletian's Palace: $59
- Wine Tasting in the Diocletian’s Palace: $60
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 Split and Quito, we can see that Split is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Split 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 Split would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Split 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 Split Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Split or Quito?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Split. When comparing the sizes of Split 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.