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Quebec City on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, with care: the old town's streets, walls and viewpoints are free, and eating outside the walls helps. A realistic minimum is about C$133 a day per person sharing a room — around C$60 for a bed, C$50 for food, C$15 for sights and C$8 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | C$60 | C$125 | C$280 |
| Food & drink | C$50 | C$90 | C$160 |
| Sights & tickets | C$15 | C$45 | C$90 |
| Local transport | C$8 | C$20 | C$60 |
| Per person, per day | C$133 | C$280 | C$590 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Quebec City day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Dufferin Terrace in front of the Château Frontenac
- Walking the city walls and gates such as Porte Saint-Louis and Porte Saint-Jean
- The Plains of Abraham (Battlefields Park)
- Place Royale and the Fresque des Québécois mural
- Guided tours of the Parliament Building (free on most days)
- Rue du Petit-Champlain and the Lower Town lanes
Cheap eats
- Poutine — roughly C$9–16
- Pea soup — roughly C$7–12 a bowl
- Maple taffy on snow — about C$4–6
- Sugar pie or pouding chômeur — roughly C$7–12 a slice
- A bakery breakfast or market picnic — a fraction of a restaurant meal
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in hostels and cheaper hotels in Saint-Roch and Saint-Sauveur, below the cliff and 10–20 minutes' walk from the old town, at about C$110–170 a room. Hostels inside the walls exist but fill quickly in summer and during the Carnaval.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the old town and use the Funiculaire or stairs between Upper and Lower Town. RTC buses cost about C$3.75 a ride and link the old town with Saint-Roch and Sainte-Foy. From the airport, a taxi is often a flat fare of roughly C$40–50. For Montmorency Falls, a city bus with a change is cheaper than a tour.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Dufferin Terrace and the walk down the Breakneck Stairs to Petit-Champlain (free)
- Lunch: poutine on Rue Saint-Jean (about C$15)
- Afternoon: the Plains of Abraham and the city walls (free), Parliament tour (free)
- Evening: the Québec–Lévis ferry for the view (about C$8 return) and a simple dinner in Saint-Roch (about C$30)
- Total: about C$133 including a shared room (about C$60 per person)
More ways to save
- Picnic on the Plains of Abraham with food from a bakery or market.
- Choose one paid museum, such as the Musée de la civilisation or the Musée national des beaux-arts.
- Visit in late spring or late autumn for lower hotel prices.
- Use RTC buses to Montmorency Falls rather than a tour if you are confident with connections.
- Change the suggested tip percentage on card machines if needed; 15% is normal.
- Book well ahead for the Carnaval or the Festival d'été if you must travel then.
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Common questions
Can you visit Quebec City on a budget?
Yes. Stay in Saint-Roch, walk the old town and eat outside the walls; about C$133 a day is realistic.
What is free in Quebec City?
Dufferin Terrace, the city walls, the Plains of Abraham, Place Royale and Parliament tours on most days.
How do I get from the airport cheaply?
Taxis often charge a flat fare of roughly C$40–50; RTC buses are cheaper but slower.