The Cost of Travel in Ecuador
Ecuador is one of the gems of South America. It’s far smaller than the countries that surround it too, so it’s perfect for a shorter trip. If there’s one thing that you should go to Ecuador for, it’s the nature.
There is such a bounty of landscapes considering the country’s size, from the Amazon Rainforest to the Galapagos Islands and the staggering Andes Mountains that run through the country, to the gorgeous Pacific Coastline. It’s not surprising then that Ecuador is a top destination for ecotourism.
I spent most of my time in the mountains as that’s where I feel most at home, but even the cities in Ecuador weren’t loud or busy enough to feel suffocating.
Another great thing about Ecuador is that there’s a strong indigenous presence, and you’ll often hear different native languages, like Achaur-Shiwiar and Secoya, being spoken around you. Whilst Spanish is the most widely spoken language, there are some 24 native languages in Ecuador!
That said, more than in other countries I’d suggest brushing up your Spanish skills and learning some new vocabulary before getting to Ecuador, most people don’t speak English. In fact, I stayed in one village in the north at a family run hostel where the grandma didn’t speak Spanish at all.
I didn’t feel like Ecuador was over commercialized or particularly touristy. Whilst I always met friends along the way, it’s easy to step off the tourist trail and submerge yourself in the local culture.
I flew into Guayaquil and then spent most of my trip in the Andes after that, visiting different national parks and volcanoes. I didn’t really visit the coast and I skipped the Galapagos on this trip because I was on a tight budget.
The country is super cheap to travel, unless you go to the Galapagos where you’ll probably have to spend a fortune on a boat tour. In general, South America, with the exception of Chile, is cheap to travel – but comparatively Ecuador is cheaper than Peru and Colombia.
The only thing that surprised me in Ecuador was how expensive nice chocolate is, and that’s sadly because they export all their good chocolate to the west.
Now, let’s break down your Ecuador travel costs so you can set off with a clear idea of how much you should budget for your trip.
Accomodation
There are plenty of ways to save money when you’re travelling if you start running out of cash but you’re not ready to go home.
I met loads of travelers in Ecuador who had stayed at a hostel as guests and then ended up staying as volunteers for a few weeks, swapping a few hours of cleaning and making beds in the morning for food and accommodation.
This is an easy way to save money as you don’t have to change your travel route or plan anything, pretty much every hostel in South America runs on a volunteer basis, so you’ll never struggle finding opportunities!
Other options if you want to do something a bit more exciting or you like to plan in advance is to go on a site like WWOOFing that has loads of cool horticulture positions working on eco-farms, gardening and helping with the animals.
Another option is to sleep, for free, on someone’s sofa or (if you’re lucky) in their spare room! I’ve always been a bit hesitant to use CouchSurfing, but everyone I know who has done it only has great things to say and I also have friends who host and love it. It’s worth a shot right!
There are loads of hosts in bigger cities, like Quito, Cuenca, Guayaquil, and even smaller cities like Otavalo. It’s not very good in small town and rural areas though, understandably. Even if you decide not to stay at someone’s house, they organize meet-ups for travelers and advertise cool events on the site so it’s worth checking out!
Another one worth trying if you’re looking for a longer stay is housesitting. How it works is that people going on long-term trips and holidays advertise their homes for free, in exchange for looking after pets or watering the plants. It’s a particularly epic way to score some free accommodation — and well-worth taking a look at Trusted Housesitters to see if your travel dates coincide with anybody’s listing on the site.
Hostels
Hostels are super affordable in Ecuador, whether you’re in a private room or a shared dorm. I stayed in gorgeous double rooms for as little as $5 a night in more secluded rural areas, and paid as little as $4 a night for a bed in a shared dorm in big cities.
Even if you don’t stay in hostels the whole time, it’s a good way to meet other travelers.
Quito: This hostel in Quito has a backpacker vibe, a cool garden to chill in, and an area with pool tables and foosball where people have beers in the evening. It’s rustic and I loved knowing I was staying in a 200 year old colonial house!
Prices start at as little as $27 for a triple room, and breakfast is included! I also found it handy staying in the historic center of the city, close to all the coolest landmarks. I’d highly recommend a room in the Colonial House Inn.
Otavalo: For $10 a night you can stay in a clean 4 person dorm at The Traveler Hostel. My favorite thing about the rooms was that the shared dorms aren’t bunk beds, they’re all single beds! Which makes a huge difference to the quality of sleep you’ll get.
The breakfast was tasty, and filling and the hostel is very close to the city center (less than 15 minutes’ walk away). I liked how colorful the spaces were too.
Baños: For $30 you can get a private double room with incredible terrace views at the Hostal Balcon del Cielo. Once you’re there it’s not hard to see why it’s called the Terrace of the Sky Hostel, the building literally seems to be suspended over a gorge. There are cheaper rooms available, but I really recommend getting a room with a balcony!
The rooms themselves aren’t much, but they’re clean and simple and you’ll be spending most of your time in Baños outdoors anyway.
Guayaquil: Guayaquil was my first stop in Ecuador and after a total disaster of a first night (we arrived really late, went to our booked hotel and they had given someone else the room we had booked weeks in advance! Next they said they had a twin hotel, but I’m pretty sure we slept in their grandma’s spare room…) arriving at Casa Michael was a welcomed relief.
The hostel is run by a super lovely family who welcomed us personally. They’re great hosts, so friendly and super up for giving you a hand with absolutely anything. The colorful garden with hammocks and fruit trees made me feel instantly at home.
The hostel is a little out of the way, but it’s easy enough to get to the center and it’s in a nice and safe neighborhood. The rooms are super basic, but there’s a functional kitchen and for around $8 a night for a bunk it’s great!
High-end hotels in the country’s major cities
Let’s have a look at some of the more upper-end accommodation I stayed in during my trip so you can get an idea of price differences.
Quito
Casa El Edén goes up there on my list of favorite colonial hotels. It has rustic colonial features and simultaneously manages to be sophisticated. Breakfast is included and rooms start at $150 a night for a double for two!
Otavalo
Hotel Otavalo is an exquisite hotel that oozes charm and class. The exposed brick walls in the rooms were one of my favorite features. They have a cozy restaurant in the hotel and the staff pay incredible attention to detail in everything they do, from the cleaning to the service.
It’s family friendly too! I stayed there with a friend, and we loved that they have twin room options too. The receptionists helped us with info about tours and sorting out an airport transfer for my friend. Rooms are about $200 a night for multiple guests.
Baños
The stunning cabin style rooms at Finca Chamanapamba Guest House were probably my favorite place I stayed in Ecuador. I instantly fell in love with the totally wacky architectural features, and each room is so unique.
One drawback is you’ll need a car to stay here, but you’re right in the outdoors and walking distance from waterfalls. For just $110 for a double room, I thought it was an absolute bargain!
Guayaquil
This stylish hotel has a gorgeous pool that runs along the edge of the hotel with a relaxing outdoor lounging area. It’s in a colorful neighborhood in one of the nicer areas of Guayaquil.
The rooms are minimalistic but clean and comfortable, plus they have sea views! For just $70 a night they have super affordable double rooms at Las Peñas Siglo XXI B&B.
Accommodation is much cheaper if you don’t book in advance and you find somewhere once you’re there, but you can spend anywhere between $5-$200 a night, it really depends what sites you look on and how much you want to spend.