Think twice.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Quito at 37/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Ecuador's national picture overall (50/100 vs 53/100).
City page · part of Ecuador
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Quito report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside Ecuador's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
63.1
Safety Index
36.9
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as Ecuador's national page, with crime swapped for Quito's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Quito, specifically
- • Crime: As in every big city tourists should take special care in certain areas.
- • Do not travel up El Panecillo on foot; use a taxi even during the day.
- • It is probably best to avoid "Gringolandia" (La Mariscal area) alone at night, as there is quite a bit of assault even during the day.
- • As the Old City becomes quite dead late at night, it is best to avoid walking around alone.
- • Mariscal Sucre and all parks among other areas can be unsafe at night so taxis are advised for even short distances.
Legal status (national law)
Legal since 1997+ UN decl. sign.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
A / B · 120V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 911 / ambulance: 911 / fire: 911
Tipping
Bars, restaurants and hotels include a 10% service charge in the bill, so tipping is not required. In the case of restaurants, it is customary to leave some spare change in reward for good service. Some restaurants that don't include the service charge will include a small piece of paper along with the bill, in which the client can specify a tip (approx. 5-10%) if they are paying with credit card.
Cash vs. Card
Ecuador adopted the United States dollar ("$", ISO currency code: USD) as its currency in 1999. Other types of currency are not readily accepted.
How this compares to Ecuador
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Quito at 37/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Ecuador's national picture overall (50/100 vs 53/100).
See the full Ecuador page and all receipts →