Which place is cheaper, Quito or Granada?
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 Granada 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 Granada 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: Granada or Quito?
Granada
Granada is Nicaragua's oldest colonial city, and arguably, the most beautiful city in the country. It sits on the northern edge of Lake Nicaragua (Lago Cocibolca) and has many beautifully colored buildings and nice churches. The city's beauty and colonial architecture, along with its relative safety and accessibility, make it one of Nicaragua's top tourist destinations. The city has long been a center for commerce, but today its economy depends heavily on tourism. The city is the sixth largest in Nicaragua and a real estate boom in the early 2000's brought a large number of expats to the town.
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 Nicaragua, The Best Adventure Tours to Nicaragua, The Best Adventure Tours to Ecuador, and The Best Eco Tours in Ecuador.
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Granada Prices
Nicaragua PricesQuito Prices
Ecuador Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayGranada $50Quito $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Granada is $50, 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 Granada and Quito in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personGranada $17Quito $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGranada $34Quito $44
Compare Hotels in Granada and Quito
Looking for a hotel in Granada 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: Granada Hotel Prices and Quito Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Granada $8.54Quito $6.99
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Granada
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Granada:
- From One way shared transfer to Leon: $39
- From One way shared transfer to Rivas: $39
- From San Jorge: One way shared transfer to Granada: $39
- Leon: One way shared transfer to Granada: $39
- One-Way Private Transfer From/To Airport or Hotels in Granada: $40
- San Juan del Sur: One way shared transfer to Granada: $39
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:
- Quito Airport Arrival Transfer to Hotel: $20
- Private Departure Transfer from Quito to the Airport - One Way: $21
- Private Transfer from or to Quito Airport (one way): $21
- Mariscal Sucre Quito Airport (UIO) to Quito hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $22
- Quito airport private transfer IN or OUT: $28
- Quito PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotels: $28
- Quito PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotels: $28
- Transfer Out from Quito to the Airport: $30
- Transfers To and From the Airport in Quito Ecuador: $35
- Private Transfer to Quito airport and hotel : $35
- Quito PRIVATE Departure Transfer from Hotels to the Airport: $36
- Quito PRIVATE Arrival Transfer from Airport to Hotels: $36
Is it cheaper to fly into Granada or Quito?
Prices for flights to both Quito and Granada 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 dayGranada $24Quito $34
Typical Food Prices in Granada
Some typical examples of dining costs in Granada are as follows:
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Pizza$2.28
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.Granada $10Quito $16
Typical Entertainment Prices in Granada
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Granada are as follows:
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Lago de Nicaragua Boat Tour$8.14
Tours and Activities in Granada
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Granada are as follows:
- Isletas Boat Tour: $32
- Paddle Boarding and Meditation Wellness Experience in Las Isletas: $33
- Colonial Granada Horse Carriage & Walking Tour: $35
- Granada Colonial Granada Horse Carriage and Walking Tour: $35
- Las Isletas: Kayak Tour: $39
- City Tour Granada, Nicaragua.: $40
- Las Isletas: Boat Tour: $45
- Mountain Biking Tour with Snacks and Drinks: $45
- Lake Nicaragua Kayak Tour: $45
- Las Isletas Boat Tour: $45
- Masaya Volcano Tour Minimum 2 People from Granada: $45
- Las Isletas 2-Hour Kayak Adventure in Granada with Pickup: $48
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:
- Quito Old Town, Free walking tour Cacao taste included!: $1.00
- Skip the Line-Entry to Heaven's Gateway The Basilica Towers!: $7.99
- Night Tour in Quito with free time at Old Town: $15
- Quito Walking Experience Tour with Activities: $25
- Quito Private Walking Tour with a Local: $35
- Quito Oldtown: A Cultural-Gastro Walking Tour and Shopping: $40
- Gastronomic and Cultural Walking Tour of Quito with Tastings: $40
- Half-Day Ecuadorian Gastronomy Tour in Quito: $40
- Quito Half Day PRIVATE City tour: $42
- Quito Historic Center Night Tour: $42
- Half Day Bike Tour Discovering Quito: $48
- Fruit Tasting Experience with +15 Exotics Flavors of Ecuador: $49
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayGranada $7.48Quito $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Granada
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Granada:
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Tequila$1.36
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 Granada and Quito, we can see that Quito is more expensive. And not only is Granada much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Granada is in Central America 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 Granada would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Granada 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 Granada.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Granada Expensive? and Is Quito Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Granada or Quito?
Quito has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Granada. When comparing the sizes of Granada 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.