Quito on $24/Day: South America's Most Underrated Budget Capital

$24/Day in Quito. Not a typo.

I just spent 6 days in Quito, Ecuador's capital, and I'm still shocked at how cheap this place is. Like, genuinely shocked. We're talking hostel beds for $7-10 USD, street food meals for $1.50-3, and some of the best colonial architecture in South America for free just by walking around.

Total trip cost: 6 days for $144 all-in. That's $24/day including accommodation, food, transportation, activities, and a SIM card. Here's the full breakdown.

Daily Budget Breakdown

ACCOMMODATION: $8/day

I stayed at Viajero Quito Hostel (9.3 rating on Hostelworld, 840 reviews) for CA$9.69/night, which is roughly USD $7.30. That's literally the cheapest quality hostel I've found in South America.

Other solid options:

• Colonial House Inn — 9.8 rating, dorms from CA$9.98 (USD $7.50)
• Blue House — Budget option, dorms from CA$8.39 (USD $6.30)
• Community Hostel — 9.4 rating, dorms from CA$15.98 (USD $12), but includes breakfast and dinner

Real talk: The budget hostels are genuinely nice. Not sketchy. Not falling apart. Just... cheap. Quito's hostel scene is elite.

FOOD: $10/day

This is where Quito gets absolutely unreal. Street food is FIRE and costs nothing.

Breakfast: $1.50-2
Empanadas from a street vendor (cheese, meat, or spinach) + fresh juice. The empanadas are massive and filling. I'd get two for breakfast and I'm set until lunch.

Lunch: $3-4
The move is to find a "comedor" — a local lunch spot where construction workers and office people eat. You get a full meal (rice, beans, protein, salad, soup) for $2.50-3.50. I had ceviche, chicken with rice, and seco de pollo (chicken stew) — all under $3.50.

Dinner: $4-5
Street food or another comedor. The La Floresta neighborhood has food stalls set up in the evenings selling local dishes. I had hornado (roasted pork) with rice and plantains for $4.

Snacks: $1-2
Fresh fruit from markets (bananas, papayas, oranges) for pennies. A coffee from a café is $0.50-1.

Budget restaurant truth: If you eat at an actual restaurant (not street food), you'll spend $8-12 per meal. Don't do that. Street food is better AND cheaper.

TRANSPORTATION: $2/day

Quito's public transit is stupid cheap. A single bus ride is $0.35 USD. That's it.

I got a rechargeable transit card (Tarjeta Bip) and loaded $5 on it — that covered all my transportation for 6 days. The buses are modern, clean, and go everywhere.

Airport to city: $0.35 by bus (30 minutes to Parque Bicentenario, then another $0.35 to the old town). OR a fixed taxi from the airport is about $15-20 if you want direct.

Getting around the city: Buses go everywhere. Walking the old town (historic center) is free and that's where most travelers spend time anyway.

ACTIVITIES: $3/day

Quito's old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and honestly, just walking around is the activity. The colonial architecture, churches, plazas, and street life are free.

What I did:

• Free walking tour of the old town (3 hours, tips appreciated) — I tipped $5
• Museo Nacional (pre-Hispanic art, ceramics, stone thrones) — $6
• Free exploration of La Floresta neighborhood (hipster cafés, street art, vintage shops) — $0
• Equator visit (Mitad del Mundo) — $4 entry (optional, can be touristy)

Real talk: You don't need to pay for much here. The city itself is the experience.

MISC: $1/day

SIM card ($3 for 2GB data), coffee, random stuff. Averaged to about $1/day across the 6 days.

TOTAL TRIP COST

That's a full international trip for under $550. For someone making $35K/year, that's doable by saving $100/month for 5-6 months.

The Honest Review

What was great:

• The food is genuinely incredible. Street empanadas, ceviches, fresh juice — everything hits different
• Colonial architecture everywhere. The old town is legitimately beautiful
• The weather is perfect (9,000 feet altitude, so it's cool and sunny most days)
• Super friendly people. Locals are patient with English speakers
• The hostel scene is legit. You'll meet people, there are activities, it's not sketchy
• You can actually afford to stay longer because it's so cheap

What sucked:

• Altitude. Quito is at 9,350 feet. I felt it on day 1 (headache, slight shortness of breath). Acclimatize by staying hydrated and taking it easy the first day
• Pickpocketing is real in the old town, especially on crowded streets. Keep your phone in your front pocket, don't wear expensive jewelry, be aware
• Some neighborhoods outside the old town (Mariscal Sucre) get sketchy at night. Stick to well-lit areas, use Uber if needed
• The equator visit (Mitad del Mundo) is touristy and kind of underwhelming for the effort
• Rain. It rains almost every afternoon. Bring a light rain jacket

Would I go back: 100%. Quito is massively underrated. Everyone talks about Peru and Colombia, but Ecuador hits different. Cheap, friendly, good food, beautiful city. Go.

How to Book This Trip

1. Find flights
Google Flights for JFK to UIO (Quito airport code). Skyscanner is showing $295 RT as the low end right now. Set price alerts — flights dip to $250-300 sometimes.

2. Book accommodation
Hostelworld for Quito. Filter by rating (8.0+), check reviews for safety/vibe. Viajero and Colonial House Inn are my top picks. Book direct on their website if possible (sometimes cheaper than Hostelworld).

3. Get a SIM card
Arrive at the airport, go to a Claro or Movistar booth, get a prepaid SIM. $3-5 for data. Do this immediately.

4. Get transit card
Buy a Tarjeta Bip at any metro station or convenience store. Load $5-10 on it. Buses are $0.35 per ride.

5. Eat where locals eat
Ask your hostel staff where they eat lunch. Go there. It'll be cheap and good.

Bottom Line

Quito is the most underrated budget destination in South America right now. $24/day is genuinely doable, the city is beautiful, the food is fire, and you'll have money left over to extend your trip or save for the next one.

If you've been thinking about South America but thought it was too expensive, Quito proves you wrong. Go.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you book through Hostelworld or flight links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend places I've actually stayed and verified pricing on.*