How much cash should I bring?

$900 is my guess!  Be sure to get your amount in $20, $10, $5 and $1 and some change.  Many sites recommend bringing $1 coins.

I figured out how much I'm bringing.  Click to see the spreadsheet below:

 Lynne's Budget for Cash

Can I use my credit card?

Credit card acceptance is habitual in mid-to high-range shops, restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Manta, Ambato, and the Galapagos.

Visa is the most widely accepted, along with MasterCard and Diners Club. Other credit card brands are not as common but are still accepted in some hotels.

Just like with debit cards, tourists must alert their credit card issuer before their trip to Ecuador, so its international use is activated.

When paying with a credit card, the tourists might be asked “¿corriente o diferido?”, which translates as “do you want to pay in a single installment (corriente) or in various installments (diferido)?”. Either can be chosen, and the latter is useful if it is a pricey purchase!

For taxis, buses, convenience stores, and all other services provided by small or informal businesses, only cash is accepted, and preferably in small bills ($1, $5, $10, and $20). Almost no place or person will accept $50 or $100 bills.

Transportation

• The minimum fare for a taxi ride is $1,50.
• Uber and Cabify are safe, slightly cheaper alternatives to yellow taxis.

Accommodation

• Hostels in the Amazon and coastal regions can cost as low as $30 per night and sometimes include breakfast. 
• Hotels in Tourist category start at $50 per night, Tourist Superior at $80
• First category hotels start at $150 per night and Deluxe at $250

Meals

• A 3-course lunch (soup, main dish, and dessert) at a popular, low range restaurant costs approximately $3-5.
• A la carte meals in mid-range restaurants cost an average of $12.
• Meals at upscale restaurants start at $20.

Tipping

• At mid and high-range restaurants, a 10% service fee is automatically included in the bill, which is collected by the restaurant and paid to the waiters by the end of the month. 
• Only if the tourists found the service to be extraordinary, he/she may personally tip the waiter an additional 10%.
• At low-range local eateries, no tip is expected. Taxi drivers neither collect tips.
• Finally, tour guides expect a daily tip of around $10-$15 per person depending on the tour.