Money

The official currency of Ecuador has been changed to US Dollar from September 2000. Both American and Ecuadorian coins can be used, and are available in the denominations of 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, and 50¢. Apart from this, all other currency comes in American Dollar with the denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100.

1. Currency Exchange

Several banks, ATMs and currency exchange bureaus help in exchanging foreign currencies. Usually most of the banks operate from Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm. Some of the banks are open even on Saturdays. The currency exchange bureaus are also open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm. Banco de Guayaquil and Banco del Pacifico are some of the major banks dealing in currency exchange. The Banco del Pinchincha in Quito remains open till 8pm.

In Ecuador, ATMs are spread all over the country including the remote areas such as the Galapagos. Cards from the Cirrus network (tel. 800/424-7787) are accepted by most of the ATMs. Holders of cards with other major logos such as MasterCard, Visa and Plus may also be able to withdraw money easily from the ATMs. However, these machines cannot deal with PINs consisting more than 4 digits and thus it is necessary to ensure that the PIN number is appropriate. In case you face any problem while dealing with the ATM, you can always try for cash advances available at the banks. To avail of this facility you would need to provide a photocopy of your passport to the bank.

To exchange travelers' checks, the best place would be a money exchange house known as the ‘casa de cambio' or a bank. Travelers' checks are also accepted by most of the upscale hotels and restaurants. In case you have lost your American Express travelers' checks you can call collect to the US at 801/964-6665.

While carrying cash, it is advisable to carry mostly $3, $5 and $10 bills.

Some of the most widely accepted credit cards in Ecuador are American Express, MasterCard, VISA and Diner's Club.

International Money Transfer facilities are also available in most of the urban areas of Ecuador where tourists can pick up money for sending abroad. Western Union offices are located all though the country while American Express offices are located in selected places offering check cashing service (up to USD 1000 dollars every 21 days) and limited transfers to its cardholders.

2. What a Dollar Will Buy You

Newspapers and Magazines: ranging from US$0.12 to US$2.50

Cleansers and other Toiletries

5 Disposable Razors -- US$ 1.00

1 Bar of Laundry Soap -- US$ 0.20

Laundry Detergent -- US$ 2.00

1 Bar of Hand Soap -- US$ 0.80

Eating Out

Rice with Shrimp -- US$ 3.00

Rice with Shellfish -- US$ 2.50

Shellfish Ceviche -- US$ 2.50

Fish Ceviche -- US$ 2.50

Groceries

French Bread (4 people) -- US$ 0.50

Sunflower Oil (1 lt) -- US$ 1.85

Soya Oil (1 lt) -- US$ 1.25

Rice (1kg) -- US$ 1.10

Tuna (0.184 kg) -- US$ 0.55

Fresh Fruits

25 Mangos -- US$ 1.40

25 Apples -- US$ 2.00

25 Oranges -- US$ 0.80

1 Pineapple-- US$ 0.48

8 Bananas -- US$ 0.32

Ecuadorian Drinks

Carbonated Mineral Water (2lt.) -- US$ 0.62

Spring Water (4lt.) -- US$ 0.66

Package of Cigarettes (20) -- US$ 0.80

Club Beer 300 cc -- US$ 0.43

Pilsener Beer 578 ml -- US$ 0.66

Soft Drink (2 lt) -- US$ 1.00

Peach Juice -- US$ 1.00

3. Telecommunications

For making a call to Ecuador, the international access code needs to be followed by the country and then the area code of Ecuador. The country code of Ecuador is +593. It is important to note that while dialing the area code, you need not put ‘0' before the code. The area codes of Ecuador are:

Pinchincha (Quito) - 2

Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Pastaza, Chimborazo, Bolívar - 3

Guayas (Guayaquil) - 4

Galápagos, Los Ríos, Manabí - 5

Carchi, Esmeraldas, Imbabura, Napo, Orellana, Sucumbíos - 6

Azuay (Cuenca), Cañar, El Oro, Loja, Morona, Zamora - 7

All cellular number in Ecuador begin with the number 9.

Local calls in Ecuador can be made from the public phones spread throughout the country. Although some coin-operated phones are still available, most of the public phones operate through debit cards. These cards can be purchased from booths scattered throughout the country, including convenience stores and specific pharmacies. These cards are mostly owned by Bell South and Porta and can also be purchased from their stores. With a Bell South phone card costing $3 tourists can speak for almost 7 minutes (USA). Cards are available in $3, $5 and $10 denominations.

While making a local phone call within Ecuador, it is necessary to dial ‘0' followed by the city code consisting of 2 digits and then dial the actual 6 or 7 digit phone number.

Calls from local stores or ‘tiendas' are also possible that lend their private phones for public usage. However, the charges may depend on the mood of the owner.

The cheapest telephone service (local, inter provincial or international) can be availed of from Andinatel, the major phone company of Ecuador. Credit cards are not accepted and payment in cash is mandatory that costs around 30 cents while calling to US and about 45 cents to the UK. Similar services are also offered by post offices.

The best options for making a call to the United States would be to use the Net-Phone and dialpad.com services. Net-Phone is supported by a number of Internet cafes in Quito. Around 25 cents per minute is charged by these Internet Cafes. Unlimited free calls to United States can also be made by connecting to dialpad.com through your personal computers equipped with microphones or headsets.

Direct dial, long distance service and in-house fax transmission services are offered by most of the upscale hotels in Cuenca, Guayaquil and Quito. However, they are quite expensive and most of the hotels charge a surplus amount even in case of dialing toll-free access numbers.

Collect call services are also available for a limited number of countries.

4. Cab Fares

For a short ride -- US $1.

From the airport to the new city -- around US $3

From the airport to the old city -- US $5-$6

From the airport to the new town in Quito -- US $4 and $6

From the Bus station (Terminal Terrestre) to the new city --around US $4-$5

For hiring a taxi -- US$8 and $10 (per hour)

The rates at night increase almost upto 40%

5. Currency Exchange Rates

1 US Dollar = 25,000 Ecuador Sucre

1 Ecuador Sucre (ECS) = 0.00004000 US Dollar (USD)

1 Ecuador Sucre = 0.00003128 Euro

1 Euro (EUR) = 31,965.7 Ecuador Sucre (ECS)

1 Ecuador Sucre = 0.0001235 Argentine Peso

1 Argentine Peso (ARS) = 8,097.22 Ecuador Sucre (ECS)

6. Taxes

For leaving Ecuador via an international flight a departure tax of $31.60 is charged. This tax needs to be paid in cash either in Euros or US Dollars.

A 12% IVA or the National Sales Tax is also charged on every purchase of all kinds of goods. Sometimes this tax is included in the price and does not need to be paid separately. However, the tax does not apply for smaller items such as a short taxi ride or a street side meal.

A service tax of 10% is applied in most of the restaurants and hotels. Upscale hotels and restaurants may include an additional amount of 12% to the restaurant and bill apart from charging another 10% service tax. The menus often show that the bill does not include the service tax.

7. Tipping

Tipping is not mandatory in Ecuador and is thus completely dependent on individual discretion. As most of the hotels and restaurants charge an additional 10% service tax on the bill, most of the visitors are not expected to tip. However, if they are extremely happy with the quality of the service, they might as well feel free to reward them accordingly. Usually a tip of 5 to 10% is added to the service charge and is considered as a tip.

The usual tip for hotel porters range between 5 to 10% per bag.

Although tourist guides, waiters and porters might expect tips, taxi drivers in Ecuador are less hopeful.