Which place is cheaper, Quito or Tokyo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Tokyo or Quito?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Tokyo or Quito? 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: Tokyo or Quito?
Tokyo
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is by far the most populous city in the world with a staggering 37 million people. As a worldwide hub for technology and business, it hosts millions of visitors annually. But Tokyo is not just a place for business trips. With its incredible mixture of historical temples and shrines, remarkably beautiful parks, endless shopping malls, and genuinely wonderful people, Tokyo is a terrific place to visit and to explore.
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 2-Week Tours in Japan, The Best Bicycle Tours in Japan, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTokyo $157Quito $52
The average daily cost (per person) in Tokyo is $157, while the average daily cost in Quito is $52. 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 Tokyo and Quito in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTokyo $77Quito $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTokyo $154Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Tokyo and Quito
Looking for a hotel in Tokyo 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: Tokyo Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tokyo $17Quito $6.99
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tokyo
Also for Tokyo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Tokyo to Narita Airport: $224
- Airport Transfer between Narita and Tokyo or Disney or Yokohama: $222
- Airport transfer between Haneda and Tokyo or Disney or Yokohama: $124
- Arrival Private Transfer: Haneda Airport HND to Tokyo in Sedan: $279
- Departure Private Transfer: Tokyo to Haneda Airport HND in Sedan: $279
- Departure Transfer from Tokyo City to Haneda Airport HND by van: $75
- From Haneda Airport: 1-Way Private Transfer to Tokyo City: $92
- From Tokyo:Private tour to Kamakura with Round-way transfer: $599
- Fuji-Q Highland 1-Day Pass with Private Transfer: $239
- Hakuba: Private transfer from/to Tokyo/HND by minibus max 9: $843
- Haneda Airport (HND) Private Transfer to Central Tokyo: $109
- Haneda Airport (HND) to/from Tokyo 23 Ward Private Transfer: $110
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
Is it cheaper to fly into Tokyo or Quito?
Prices for flights to both Quito and Tokyo 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 dayTokyo $37Quito $20
Typical Food Prices in Tokyo
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Tokyo:
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Late Night Noodles$5.23
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Conveyor Belt Sushi Snack$5.23
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Meal at Airport$6.81
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tokyo
For Tokyo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Takoyaki cooking experience in Kabukicho, Shinjuku: $23
- Easy Ramen Cooking Experience in Kabukicho, Shinjuku: $26
- 2 Hours Japanese Style Pub and Food Tour in Ueno: $33
- Private Sushi Roll Cooking Class in Japan: $38
- Food Tour in Tsukiji : $48
- Sushi Making Experience in Tsukiji 90-Minute cooking class: $54
- Japanese Traditional Cooking Class: $59
- Wagyu and 7 Japanese Dishes Cooking Class: $61
- 【Contemporary Culture】Food tour I Always Visit in Shibuya: $65
- Tokyo Wagyu Culinary Tour Cooking Culture and Tasting: $66
- Small-Group Wagyu Beef and 7 Japanese Dishes Tokyo Cooking Class: $68
- Private Food Tour in Downtown Yanesen and Nezu Shrine: $73
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tokyo $69Quito $16
Tours and Activities in Tokyo
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Tokyo.
- Japan: Zen and Tea Ceremony Audio Guided Tour: $3.27
- Ancient Orient Museum Admission Ticket: $3.92
- Samurai and Bushido Audio Guided Tour: $4.71
- 24-hour, 48-hour, or 72-hour Subway Ticket: $5.23
- Asakusa（Tokyo）: Smartphone Audio Guide Tour: $6.54
- Audio Guide Tour: Deeper Experience of Shinjuku Sightseeing: $6.54
- Tokyo Shibuya Bar Hopping Tour: $6.54
- Ueno: Self-Guided Tour of Ameyoko and Hidden Gems: $6.54
- Shibuya Sightseeing with an Audio Guide: $6.54
- Akihabara (Tokyo): English Audio Guide Tour: $6.54
- Ueno Park Self-Guided Tour with Audio Guide: $6.54
- Harajuku: Audio Guide Tour of Takeshita Street: $6.54
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
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTokyo $33Quito $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Tokyo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Tokyo:
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Sake$3.92
Sample the Local Flavors in Tokyo
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Tokyo:
- Tokyo Pub Crawl: $25
- 3-Hour Tokyo Pub Crawl Weekly Welcome Guided Tour in Shibuya: $52
- Toshimaya Sake Brewery Tour with Sake Tasting: $92
- barhopping tour&bar crawl in Retro Town Shimokitazawa: $98
- Tokyo | 3 Hours Brewery Tour with Sake Sommelier: $105
- Private Sake Tasting at 300 Years Old Sake Brewery in Tokyo : $105
- 【Harajuku】Night Pub Crawl with Local Japanese: $125
- Private Local Craft Brewery Tour in Tokyo: $150
- Wooden Barrel Sake Brewery Tour and Unlimited Tasting Near Tokyo: $167
- Private Walking Tour with Sake Brewery Visit in Chichibu: $190
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 Tokyo and Quito, we can see that Tokyo is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tokyo is in Asia 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 Tokyo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tokyo 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 Tokyo Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Tokyo or Quito?
Tokyo has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Quito. When comparing the sizes of Tokyo 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.