Tipping in Ecuador: Who, When, and How Much

This is one of the first questions every new expat or visitor asks, and the answer is simpler than you think: Ecuador is not a tipping culture like the United States. Workers earn salaries. The 10% service charge at restaurants exists for a reason. And over-tipping, while well-intentioned, can actually create awkward situations.

That said, there are clear norms. Here's exactly what to do in every situation you'll encounter.

Restaurants

This is the big one, and it confuses people because there are two separate charges on most restaurant bills.

The 10% service charge (servicio): Most sit-down restaurants in Ecuador automatically add a 10% service charge to your bill. Look at your receipt — you'll see it listed as "servicio 10%" or just "10%." This goes to the restaurant and is supposed to be distributed among the staff. It's not technically a "tip" in the American sense — it's a mandatory charge.

The 12% IVA (tax): This is Ecuador's value-added tax. It has nothing to do with tipping. Together, the 10% servicio and 12% IVA mean your bill total is 22% more than the listed menu prices.

What to actually tip:

• If the 10% servicio is on the bill (check your receipt): no additional tip is expected. Zero. Most Ecuadorians leave nothing extra.
• If the service was genuinely exceptional: leave an extra 5–10% on the table in cash. The waiter will appreciate it, but it's a bonus, not an expectation.
• If the restaurant does NOT include the 10% servicio (some smaller places don't): leave 10–15% in cash.
• At food courts, fast food, or counter-service places: no tip.

Pro tip: Pay the tip in cash even if you're paying the bill by card. Cash tips are more likely to go directly to your server. Leave it on the table as you leave or hand it directly to the waiter.

Taxis

Traditional yellow taxis in Ecuador are metered in major cities (Cuenca, Quito, Guayaquil). Legally, they must use the meter.

Tipping norm: No tip expected. This is one of the clearest norms in Ecuador — Ecuadorians do not tip taxi drivers. If your ride costs $2.80, you hand over $3 and that's fine. If it costs $3.60, giving $4 is perfectly normal.

• Regular city rides: round up to the nearest dollar, or don't. Both are acceptable.
• Airport runs: $1–2 extra if the driver loaded your bags and the ride was smooth.
• Night rides or trips in the rain: rounding up generously is a kind gesture.
• If a driver helps you with heavy luggage or waits for you: $1–2 extra.

Never feel obligated. A Cuenca taxi ride that costs $2.50 does not need a $1 tip on top. You're not in New York.

Uber and InDriver

Ride-hailing apps are widely used in Cuenca, Quito, and Guayaquil.

• In-app tipping: Uber has a tipping feature, but almost nobody in Ecuador uses it. InDriver doesn't have one.
• The norm: same as regular taxis — round up to the nearest dollar or not. No tip expected.
• One exception: if an Uber driver helps you with multiple bags or goes out of their way, hand them a dollar. They'll remember and appreciate it.

Food Delivery (PedidosYa, Uber Eats, Rappi)

Delivery drivers in Ecuador work hard for low pay, often on motorcycles in traffic and rain.

• Standard tip: $0.50–1.00. In-app tipping is available on some platforms, or hand cash to the driver.
• If it's raining: tip $1. These drivers are out there getting soaked for your food.
• If they climbed stairs to your apartment: tip $1. Especially in buildings without elevators.
• Large orders: $1–2.

Most Ecuadorians tip delivery drivers $0.50 or round up. Anything above $1 is generous.

Hotels

Bellhop/Porter: $1 per bag. If you have two heavy suitcases, $2 total. If they carry a ridiculous amount of luggage up to your room, $3–5.

Housekeeping: $1–2 per night, left on the pillow or nightstand with a note that says "para usted" or "propina" so they know it's intentional and not forgotten money. Not required, but a kind gesture — housekeeping is hard, underpaid work.

Concierge: If they arranged something genuinely helpful (booked a hard-to-get reservation, organized a tour, solved a problem), $2–5.

At budget hostels: no tipping expected for anything.

Hairdresser and Barber

Men's haircuts in Ecuador typically cost $3–5 at a neighborhood barbershop and $8–15 at an upscale salon.

• Neighborhood barber ($3–5 cut): round up to $5 or $6.
• Salon ($10–15 cut): 10–15% tip, or round up to the nearest $5.
• Women's services (color, cut, blow-dry — $20–50+): 10–15%. A $40 service warrants a $4–6 tip.

Your barber or stylist will remember you and give you better service next time. This is one place where a small tip goes a long way in building a relationship.

Tour Guides

This varies based on the type of tour and the guide's quality.

• Day tour with a good guide: $5–10 per person.
• Multi-day tour (Galapagos, Amazon, climbing trips): $10–15 per person per day for the guide, $5–10 per person per day for the driver/boat crew.
• Free walking tours (common in Quito's historic center): $5–10 per person. These guides work for tips only — don't stiff them.
• Mediocre guide who read from a script: $2–3 is fine. You're not obligated to reward bad service.

For Galapagos cruises, tips are typically collected in a communal envelope on the last night and split among the crew. The cruise company usually provides guidance — expect to contribute $15–25 per person per day, divided between guides, crew, and kitchen staff.

Gas Station Attendants

In Ecuador, attendants pump your gas. You don't do it yourself.

• Standard tip: $0.25–0.50. Hand them a quarter or fifty-cent coin.
• If they clean your windshield (most will): $0.50.
• If they check your oil or tire pressure: $0.50–1.00.

This is one of those small tips that costs you almost nothing but means something to the person working an outdoor job all day.

Car Wash

Ecuador has abundant car wash businesses (lavadoras), often with hand-washing crews that do a thorough job.

• Basic exterior wash ($3–5): $1 tip.
• Full wash — interior and exterior ($5–8): $1–2 tip.
• Detailed cleaning/polish ($10–15): $2–3 tip.

These workers are often soaking wet and working in the sun. A small tip is the right thing to do.

Grocery Store Baggers (Empacadores)

At Supermaxi, Gran Aki, Coral, and other major grocery stores, you'll notice people — often teenagers or elderly workers — bagging your groceries at the checkout.

Here's what you need to know: these empacadores typically work for tips only. They are not employees of the supermarket. They receive no salary. Your tip is their income.

• Standard: $0.25–0.50 per transaction.
• If you have a huge cart full of groceries: $0.50–1.00.
• If they carry your bags to the car: $0.50–1.00 extra.

Never walk past the bagger without leaving something. Even $0.25 matters. This is one of the most important tipping situations in Ecuador because these people depend entirely on tips.

Portero (Building Doorman/Security Guard)

If you live in a building with a portero (and most apartment buildings in Cuenca and Quito have one or more), here's the etiquette:

• Christmas bonus: $20–50 is customary. This is the big one — at Christmas (early to mid-December), you give your portero a cash gift. Most buildings have multiple porteros working shifts, so budget $20–50 per portero.
• Special favors: if your portero receives packages, lets in repair workers, or helps you with something beyond their basic duties, $1–5 depending on the favor.
• Regular daily service: no ongoing tip expected. A friendly greeting and respectful treatment go further than dollars.

If you have a particularly good portero who remembers your delivery schedule, holds your mail, and keeps an eye on your apartment, a generous Christmas bonus ($50 or even more) is a smart investment in your quality of life.

Construction and Repair Workers

When you have workers at your home — plumbers, electricians, painters, renovation crews — the norms are different from straight tipping.

• Offer drinks: water, coffee, or juice throughout the day. This is expected and appreciated.
• Offer lunch: if workers are at your place for a full day, providing almuerzo ($3–4 per person) or giving them money to go get lunch is customary.
• Tip when the job is done: $5–10 per worker for a job well done. Not mandatory, but appreciated and remembered.
• For major renovation projects: a small celebration (a case of beer, some snacks) when the project is complete is traditional. These workers will tell other tradespeople about you, which matters when you need someone next time.

Parking Attendants and Car Watchers

In cities, you'll encounter informal car watchers (cuidadores) — men who "watch" your car while it's parked on the street.

• $0.25–0.50 when you return to your car. Yes, you're essentially paying someone to not let anything happen to your car. It's a thing. Just do it.
• Formal parking lots: no tip to the attendant unless they physically park and retrieve your car (like a valet situation), in which case $0.50–1.00.

The Philosophy: Why Less Is More

Americans tend to over-tip in Ecuador, and while it comes from a good place, it creates real problems.

It inflates expectations. When one American tips $5 on a $10 restaurant bill, the waiter starts expecting that from every foreigner. Ecuadorian customers, who follow the normal 10% servicio standard, then get worse service because they're seen as less lucrative.

It can make people uncomfortable. In Ecuadorian culture, an excessively large tip can feel like charity rather than appreciation. It changes the dynamic of the interaction from a service relationship to a patronizing one.

It throws off the local economy. When expats routinely tip at American levels, it contributes to the "gringo pricing" phenomenon where foreigners get charged more for everything.

The right approach: Be fair, be consistent, follow the norms in this guide, and save your generosity for Christmas bonuses and situations where someone truly went above and beyond. That $0.50 to the gas station attendant matters more to them than you think. The $20 tip on a $30 dinner is more awkward than you realize.

Quick Reference Card

Situation	Tip Amount
Restaurant (servicio included)	Nothing extra, or 5–10% for exceptional service
Restaurant (no servicio)	10–15%
Taxi	Round up to nearest dollar
Uber/InDriver	Round up or nothing
Food delivery	$0.50–1.00
Hotel bellhop	$1/bag
Hotel housekeeping	$1–2/night
Barber/Hairdresser	10–15% or round up
Tour guide (day)	$5–10/person
Gas station attendant	$0.25–0.50
Car wash	$1–2
Grocery bagger	$0.25–0.50
Portero (Christmas)	$20–50 each
Parking attendant	$0.25–0.50

Print this out or save it on your phone for your first few months. After a while, it becomes second nature.