For decades, Colombia has been South America’s cheapest destination, but it looks like a lesser-known country, just now being discovered by most tourists, is about to take the crown.
From the vibrant street markets of Bogota, to the trendy, hippy districts of Medellin, to the Caribbean city of Cartagena, Colombia has historically drawn budget-conscious travelers looking for a sunny escape that won’t break the bank.
As affordable as Tierra Inolvidable is, what if we told you there’s an even cheaper country southwest of Colombia, where you can feast on delicious Andean food, embark on epic adventures, and hardly feel it in your wallet?
This year, it’s about time you crossed an offbeat, awe-inspiring Ecuador off your bucket list:
An Andean Paradise Straddling The Equator Line
A country straddling the Equator line on the west coast of South America, the aptly-named ‘Ecuador’ is an up-and-coming destination incredibly diverse in natural landscapes, from its Amazon jungle to the Andean highlands to the fascinating Galápagos Islands, and with an unrivaled cultural offer.
However, unlike other Latin American countries where going on jungle adventures and guided tours will set you back hundreds of dollars, if not thousands—Costa Rica, Panama, we’re looking at you—Ecuador is surprisingly affordable.
As some would argue, even more affordable than a remarkably-inexpensive Colombia:
As revelaed in a new report published by the Global Intelligence Unit, named the Global Digital Nomad Report 2025, Ecuador is officially the second least-expensive country to live in worldwide, topped only by India.
The report addresses digital nomads and expats specifically, but that doesn’t mean tourists should discard these findings that quickly. After all, if it’s cheap to reside as a foreigner, it’s not like visiting for a few days will break the bank, either:
How Much Should You Budget For An Ecuador Trip?
According to Budget Your Trip, one of the main platforms for gauging prices across different destinations, this is how much you should budget visiting Ecuador per day as a mid-range traveler (on average):
- $19 (CO$76,089) on meals
- $7.85 (CO$30,653) on local transportation
- $29 (CO$114,283) on hotels
In Quito, the Ecuadorian capital, a three-star hotel in the old colonial center (Hotel El Ejido) will set you back $38. Meanwhile, set lunches (the so-called almuerzos), which typically include a starter soup, a main dish with rice and meat, and a fresh juice will cost around $5 per person.
As far as street food goes, fried cheese empanadas dusted with sugar, fried Andean beans and toasted corn snacks, all local takeout favorites, will be roughly $1.50 from a public market, like the bustling Mercado Central in Quito.
When it comes to guided activities, a must-have if you’re planning on exploring the beautiful, yet wild and undeveloped Ecuador beyond its tourist-friendly capital, here are some examples and their respective prices:
- Cotopaxi Volcano: Visit from Quito, Alpaca, Lagoon and volcanoes—$55 per person
- From Quito: Baños & Pailón del Diablo Waterfall Day Trip—$95 per person
- Quito: Papallacta hot springs in the middle of nature—$75 per person
- Quito: The Hidden Indigenous City—$23 per person
What To See Beyond Quito
Beyond Quito, the picture-perfect capital of Ecuador, with its signature Neo-Gothic cathedral built by the Spanish and cobbled streets that look like they could belong in Europe, Ecuador’s top tourist attractions are the following:
- Galápagos Islands: famous for its rich biodiversity that inspired Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
- Cotopaxi National Park: home to one of Ecuador’s highest active volcanoes
- Amazon Rainforest: especially the indigienous communities at Napo, Yasuni and Cuyabeno
- Quilotoa: a crater lake filled with turquoise water, offering scenic walking trails and kayak tours
- Cuenca: another colonial-era gem, and a UNESCO-listed town
Out of those listed above, the Galápagos is notoriously singled out as the most-expensive destination in Ecuador. Due to its protected status as a UNESCO-protected biosphere, remoteness, and scarcity of resources on the ground, it costs a lot more to visit than mainland Ecuador.
We’re talking hotels for around $150–$300, and multi-day land-based tours averaging $1,000–$4,000.
Once again, that’s only the Galápagos archipelago, which is a stand-alone destination in its own right. The terra firme is a lot more affordable to visit.
Fly Nonstop To Ecuador
Ecuador sounding more and more like a good idea this fall?
In case you were wondering, this is the complete list of U.S. airports offering flights to Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO):
| Depature Airport | Average Flight Time | Average Round-Trip Price |
| Miami (MIA) | 4h15 | $370 |
| Houston (IAH) | 5h15 | $704 |
| Washington, D.C. (DCA) | 5h53 | $340 |
| New York (JFK) | 6h25 | $350 |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 7h29 | $354 |
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