Many people who come to Ecuador visit with the intention of traveling to the Galápagos Islands. However, there’s so much more to Ecuador and you could spend weeks exploring this country. But how much does it cost?
In this guide, I’ll break down exactly what I spent during my three weeks in Ecuador so you can determine your own Ecuador travel budget.
About My Trip to Ecuador
I spent three weeks in Ecuador as I traveled from Cuenca to Quito. During that time, I also stopped in Baños, hiked the Quilotoa Loop, and visited Mindo. Most notably, I skipped the Galapagos Islands on my trip. That’s not because I didn’t want to visit them, but rather that I ran out of time and didn’t want to rush the experience.
About My Travel Style
As mentioned, my trip to Ecuador was part of a longer five month trip through South America, so budget was a concern. That said, I still paid for private rooms in every place I visited. I’m just past the days of hostel dorm rooms and need my own space.
Some of my hotels came with an included breakfast which definitely helped the budget. I’d typically eat out for one meal every day and supplement any other hunger with food from the grocery store.
For activities, I paid for several, but indulged in free activities to help balance my budget.
And lastly, I have to mention that I don’t drink alcohol or coffee. That’s a personal preference, but it also makes a huge impact on my travel budgets because I don’t have to account for those things.
How Much Did I Spend in Ecuador?
| Total Spent | Average Per Night (20 Nights) | |
| Hotels | $492 | $25 |
| Intercity Transportation | $75 | $4 |
| Subways/City Buses | $15 | $1 |
| Food | $101 | $5 |
| Activities | $184 | $9 |
| Miscellaneous | $4 | $1 |
| Total | $871 | $45 |
Ecuador Travel Budget Breakdown
Sure, numbers are fine, but lets breakdown each of those categories further to give a little more detail. I’ll also give some ideas for ways you can adjust the budget, either to save money or to travel more luxuriously.
Hotels
Hotels were pretty affordable in Ecuador and I had a private room every single night (and just one shared bathroom). Here’s how it breaks down.
Under $20 per night: Chugchilan
$20 to $25 per night: Latacunga, Quito
$25 to $30 per night: Cuenca, Banos, Isinlivi (shared bathroom), Quilotoa, Mindo
$30 to $35 per night: Quito Airport Hotel
$35 to $40 per night: Sigchos
As you can see, it’s not that difficult to find affordable hotels across Ecuador.
Adjustments to the Budget
I was very happy with all of my hotel choices and if you are looking for a private room with private bathroom, I think my Ecuador travel budget is a very good start. That said, if you have a bit more money, you can stay in slightly nicer accommodations.
For those traveling on a tighter budget, you can absolutely go lower. Just be prepared for hostel dorm rooms instead of private rooms. These dorm beds can be as low as $10 per night.
Intercity Transport
I used buses to get everywhere while in Ecuador, so that’s where the $75 comes from. Here’s a breakdown of those bus prices
Cuenca to Banos: $12
Banos to Latacunga: $3
Latacunga to Sigchos: $3
Quilotoa to Latacunga: $3
Latacunga to Quito: $3
Quito to Mindo: $3
Mindo to Quito: $3
In addition, I had a few taxis and Ubers that I used while I was traveling with all of my things.
Cuenca Airport to City Center: $4
Cuenca City Center to Bus Station: $3
Latacunga Highway to City Center: $5
Quito Historic Center to Terminal Ofelia: $7
Quito Terminal Ofelia to Quito Airport Hotel: $20
I’d consider Ecuador one of the cheapest South American countries for bus travel (at least out of the countries that I’ve visited). I was shocked at how cheap the buses seem to be. Note that you’ll be stopping constantly to let people on and off the bus, but when you consider the bus from Cuenca to Banos was nearly 8 hours and cost just $12, you’ll put up with all of the stops.
Adjustments to the Budget
If you’re planning to travel by bus, you don’t need to make any changes to this travel budget. In fact, for budget travelers, this is what you should plan in your Ecuador travel budget. The only place you may be able to save is taxis and Ubers. I just paid for the service when I had all of my luggage since it didn’t cost a lot and was so much more convenient than more than one hour of walking.
Depending on your exact route through Ecuador, you may not be able to fly and buses are your best option. Either that or be ready to hand over even more money for private transportation.
Subway/City Buses
I used a bit more city transportation than normal while in Ecuador, but that’s due to Quito and Mindo. In Quito, most tourists will stay near the historic center. It’s great for tourists but it’s so far away from all of the bus terminals. I constantly needed to get to these terminals for my day trips. From Quito, a friend and I visited Mitad del Mundo and Otavalo on our own. It was annoying working out the transportation, but we saved so much money doing it ourselves versus joining a tour.
I spent $3 getting to and from these terminals. That $3 translates to three metro rides (45 cents each) and five buses (35 cents each). That’s pretty cheap.
For our Otavalo day trip, we needed a bus from Quito’s Terminal Carcelen to Otavalo. We paid $3 each way for the two hour bus journey.
Lastly, I shared some taxis in Mindo since many of the activities are a bit of a walk from the main town. I was lucky to find two other travelers who had similar plans to me and we were able to split three shared taxis. My cost was $6 total for our journeys.
Adjustments to the Budget
I don’t think you anyone needs to make a lot of adjustments to this section of the Ecuador travel budget. This number is so small that whether you account for it or not, it doesn’t have a big impact.
The only exception is if you plan to take more taxis. I’m content to walk to as many places as possible and my budget reflects this (though there are clearly some places you can’t walk). If you plan to use taxis and Ubers on a more frequent basis, budget higher.
Food
As always, I used a mixture of grocery stores and restaurants while traveling in Ecuador. I’d try to eat breakfast at my hotel, but it wasn’t always included. In Ecuador, my breakfasts were only included in half of my hotels. When breakfast wasn’t included, I supplemented with grocery stores.
My big meal everyday was lunch and I’d always eat that in a restaurant. I’d try to find a menu del dia which included an appetizer, main dish, and juice for a low price. In the evenings, I’d pick up snacks from a grocery store if I was still hungry.
So, the $101 in food breaks down like this:
Grocery Stores: $22
Meals in Restaurants: $75 (15 meals)
Ice Cream: $4
Adjustments to the Budget
I was happy with what I spent on food in Ecuador. I ate well. You could go lower than this if you stick to grocery stores, but even with budget backpackers, I’d recommend using my budget as a starting point.
On the other end of the scale, you can absolutely go higher. If you eat three full meals per day in restaurants, you’ll need to budget higher. If you want to eat in nicer restaurants, you’ll also need to budget higher. The sky is the limit for how much you can spend on food while in Ecuador.
Activities
Rather than giving vague estimates, here’s exactly what I spent on activities in Ecuador.
White Water Rafting in Baños – $30
Baños Jungle Tour – $33 (includes separate $3 entrance fee for Mirador Indichuris)
Quito Walking Tour – $10
Entrance into Quito’s Gold Church – $6
Entrance into Quito’s Basilica – $4
Cotopaxi Day Trip from Quito – $55
Entrance to Mitad del Mundo – $5
Tarabita Waterfalls near Mindo – $5
Ziplining and Tubing in Mindo – $24
Mindo Chocolate Tour – $12
Adjustments to the Budget
Activities are completely subjective and it’s going to vary from person to person. You can skip some of the activities I did or you can add on more activities yourself. For the average person, I think the activities that I have listed here are a very good starting point for a Ecuador travel budget.
Miscellaneous
My miscellaneous section for Ecuador was $4. This was the fee to store my large backpack at Hostal Tiana in Latacunga while I hiked the Quilotoa Loop. As always, this bucket isn’t big and I don’t think you need to include a lot in your Ecuador Travel Budget.
I also sent out my laundry to get washed. Due to some mix up, I was never charged for this laundry. In general, budget about $2 to $3 per kilo.
A Reminder About Inflation
I traveled in May and June of 2026, so the prices are accurate as of my trip. Prices change over time and it’s important to adjust any budget for inflation.
Final Thoughts
Ecuador is a very affordable country to travel through. In fact, it was one of the cheapest countries that I visited in South America (though it’s important to note that I did not visit the Galapagos Islands). Still, there’s a lot to see and a lot to do and if you’re willing to put in some extra effort to figure out transportation to do your tours by yourself, it will absolutely help your Ecuador travel budget.
