$20 in Ecuador

Now I've spent many months here in Ecuador, I want to break down daily costs and affordability in Quito vs. the Galápagos! Our program costs include most of our necessary expenses: we get breakfast and dinner daily at our homestays, and all meals on our field trips are covered. So, lunch is the main recurring expense here. Luckily, "almuerzos" in both Quito and Galápagos are super affordable and the portions are great. The other main expense is travel. Here's what $20 can get you:

Food

Quito - $20 = 5-6 lunches. Almuerzos close to the USFQ campus are between $3.25-3.50. An almuerzo here includes a soup, main course, juice, and fruit. Some common soups are cream of squash, chicken or meat with broth, or "locro" which is a potato soup with cheese. Mains are always a protein with rice, lentils, and a small salad. A restaurant will usually have a few options for almuerzo that change each day, and you'll find the listings on a chalkboard sign out front. Pictures of a typical almuerzo:

When traveling or eating at non-almuerzo places, food can be pricier. While in Mindo, we ate at a delicious barbeque restaurant. My dish included sausage, ribs, and shrimp, and it cost about $12. There's a modern, trendy burger place in Cumbayá that I went to once for a splurge. Their basic cheeseburger was $10. 

San Cristóbal (Galápagos) - $20 = 4 lunches. Since the Galápagos are remote islands, most food and products cost more compared to mainland Ecuador. Since there's also a strong tourism presence in San Cristóbal, there are restaurants that cater to tourists and others that locals frequent more. Almuerzos here cost $5 at many local spots and are the same format as in Quito. Since fish is more common here, tuna and white fish are staples on daily menus. Right up the hill from the university campus, there's a place that has excellent portions and the owners are very friendly. There are also a few places by Playa Mann directly across from campus that are $5, too, with an ocean view if you're willing to be solicited...

For a splurge, there are lots of restaurants along the Malécon (main street along the waterfront). One of them, Midori, is a sushi restaurant that has poké bowls for $16. Their normal sushi rolls are $15, so the poke bowl is a great option if you want to eat on more of a budget. Other restaurants that cater to tourists range from $20-30/person for an entree. 

Bakeries are your friend here in San Cristóbal. Our favorite is called Barcelona, and you can buy each of these items for just $1: 5 rolls (sweet or savory), 2 orejitas (pastries), 2 yucca breads (delicious). If you like carbs go here! (and buy 100 rolls for $20). 

Travel/Activities

Since we travel extensively on class field trips, I haven't done much independent travel. However, I've been to Mindo and done various activities in Quito that are all fairly inexpensive (at least compared to the United States). 

Mindo - $20 = canopy ziplining (10 zipline tracks, ~1 hour). Ziplining here is a must if you like adventure!

Quito - $20 = 4 trips to the Guayasamín Museum or the Basílica ($5 each with a student ID)

Misc. -  $20 = ~2 uber rides to Quito from Cumbayá. Uber is much less expensive in Quito compared to the US. Since my homestay was walking distance from the university in Cumbayá, I never took the bus or taxis. But, Uber is affordable and convenient. In 

OR

$20 = 5 taxi trips to Lobería Beach from town. Taxis are rarely necessary in San Cristóbal since the town is walkable and small. However, if you're interested, taxis to the beaches or the other side of the island are rarely more than $4. 

That's all for now! Studying abroad in Ecuador is quite affordable day-to-day once you settle in and know the right spots to go for food.