Which place is cheaper, Quito or Wellington?
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 Wellington or Quito?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Wellington 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: Wellington or Quito?
Wellington
Wellington is the capital and second largest city in New Zealand. It sits on the southwestern edge of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. It's a beautiful setting that is encircled by mountains giving it a beautiful backdrop. There are also many cultural sights and attractions around town. Wellington really is the perfect mix of New Zealand's natural beauty and a vibrant urban core. The film industry is also prevelant in the city. The city's production centers have helped create Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit trilogies, Avatar, Tin Tin, and District 9.
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 Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand, The Best Adventure Tours to New Zealand, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.
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Wellington Prices
New Zealand PricesQuito Prices
Ecuador Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayWellington $124Quito $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Wellington is $124, 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 Wellington and Quito in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personWellington $60Quito $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomWellington $120Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Wellington and Quito
Looking for a hotel in Wellington 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: Wellington Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Wellington $12Quito $6.99
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Wellington
Also for Wellington, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Wētā Workshop Guided Transfers & Tour: $59
- Private Airport Transfer Service Vice Versa in Wellington by SUV: $74
- Private Transfer from Wellington Airport (WLG) to Wellington Port: $26
- Private Transfer from Wellington Cruise Port to Wellington Hotels: $105
- Private Transfer from Wellington Port to Wellington Airport (WLG): $26
- Private Transfer from Wellington hotels to Wellington Cruise Port: $105
- Wellington Airport (WLG) to Wellington - Arrival Private Transfer: $78
- Wellington Airport(WLG) to Wellington-Round-Trip Private Transfer: $155
- Wellington to Wellington Airport(WLG)-Departure Private Transfer: $78
- WLG Airport to City Private RoundTrip Transfer: $93
- Wētā Workshop Guided Tour Ticket + Transfer: $57
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 Friends Airport Quito: $40
- Transfer to Mashpi Amagusa Reserve one way : $69
- 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 Airport Quito-Hotel with bilingual driver: $43
- Quito hotels to Mariscal Sucre Quito Airport (UIO) - Departure Private Transfer: $22
- Quito PRIVATE Departure Transfer from Hotels to the Airport: $36
- Quito PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotels: $28
- Quito PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotels: $28
- Quito PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotels: $36
Is it cheaper to fly into Wellington or Quito?
Prices for flights to both Quito and Wellington 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 dayWellington $51Quito $34
Typical Food Prices in Wellington
For Wellington, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner$8.87
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Wellington
For Wellington, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 3 Hour Walking Food Tour: $125
- Capital Bites, A food tour of Wellington: $134
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
- 3-hour Andean Cooking Class in Quito with a Local Chef: $85
- 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 after-dark street food tour : $100
- Quito Private Best Street Food Tour with a Local Guide: $114
- Cooking Class at the Andes & Roses: PRIVATE Day trip from Quito: $149
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Wellington $16Quito $16
Tours and Activities in Wellington
For Wellington, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Return Cable Car Ticket: $6.95
- Wellington Zoo General Entry Tickets: $15
- Skip the Line: Staglands Wildlife Reserve Entry Ticket: $17
- Private Group Puzzle-Solving Adventure Game: Atlantis: $27
- Private Group Puzzle-Solving Adventure Game: Spaceship: $27
- Private Group Puzzle-Solving Adventure Game: Temple: $27
- Wētā Workshop Creative Classes Experience Ticket: $32
- Wētā Workshop Guided Tour Ticket: $32
- Axe Throwing Lesson and Tournament: $33
- Wētā Workshop Experiences Tour - Wellington: $33
- Zealandia by Day Tour: $37
- Auckland: Wētā Workshop Unleashed Creative Classes Ticket: $38
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: $281
- biking/ rolling/ walking Quito Old Town Tour - Private Tours: $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
- All inclusive Quito to Banos 2 day tour: $250
- Antisana Volcano Birding & Natural History Condor Tour PRIVATE, all included: $198
- Antisana Volcano Day Tour from Quito: $120
- Antisana volcano private tour; birding and hike in the Andes: $130
- Baños Adventure Full Day Trip from Quito: $125
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayWellington $12Quito $17
Sample the Local Flavors in Wellington
Also in Wellington, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Wellington Craft Beer & Brewery Half-Day Tour: $98
- Wellington Craft Brewery Half-Day Guided Tour with Tastings: $99
- From Martinborough Wine Tasting Tour: $168
- Exclusive Martinborough Wine Tour: $208
- Chefs Private Martinborough wine tour with Gourmet Lunch: $391
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 Wellington and Quito, we can see that Wellington is more expensive. And not only is Quito much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Wellington is in Pacific 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 Wellington would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Wellington 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 Wellington Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Wellington or Quito?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Wellington. When comparing the sizes of Wellington 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.