Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambato and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $52,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
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Ambato Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambato and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ambato and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $605 per month in Ambato vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Ambato $605
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $985 per month in Ambato vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Ambato $985
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $1,364 per month in Ambato vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Ambato $1,364
New York, NY $9,581

Ambato is about 88% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ambato sits 55% below the global median, while New York, NY is 267% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 $3.46

$24.65 $24.65

-85.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.93 $29.93

$122 $122

-75.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 $5.32

$13.91 $13.91

-61.75%

Cappuccino

$2.76 $2.76

$6.59 $6.59

-58.12%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 $0.82

$3.84 $3.84

-78.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 $0.75

$2.87 $2.87

-73.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$7.79 $7.79

-74.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$9.85 $9.85

-67.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.38 $1.38

-28.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 $0.98

$4.68 $4.68

-79.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$7.54 $7.54

-79.18%

Eggs

$1.73 $1.73

$5.93 $5.93

-70.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$18.83 $18.83

-71.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$17.36 $17.36

-82.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$18.51 $18.51

-78.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$6.74 $6.74

-81.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.09 $2.09

-57.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$6.07 $6.07

-83.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$6.74 $6.74

-84.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$4.05 $4.05

-80.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$4.37 $4.37

-77.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 $0.73

$2.89 $2.89

-74.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.60 $2.60

-60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 $5.15

$18.72 $18.72

-72.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$20.06 $20.06

-56.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.25 $3.25

-55.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.73 $3.73

-24.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$3.06 $3.06

-90.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.21 $14.21

$140 $140

-89.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 $1.39

$3.04 $3.04

-54.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.15 $2.15

-47.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 $9.43

$41.82 $41.82

-77.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.12 $1.12

-23.21%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.3K $23.3K

$35.5K $35.5K

-34.18%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.1K $28.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

8.10%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$39.20 $39.20

$219 $219

-82.10%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.58 $13.58

$73.2 $73.2

-81.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 $26.39

$72.0 $72.0

-63.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 $29.76

$123 $123

-75.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 $4.39

$22.85 $22.85

-80.79%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$224 $224

$3,333 $3,333

-93.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,408 $2,408

$60.0K $60.0K

-95.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.25 $48.25

$75.2 $75.2

-35.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.22 $35.22

$52.4 $52.4

-32.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$122 $122

-41.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 $55.5

$133 $133

-58.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 $178

$4,389 $4,389

-95.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 $124

$3,130 $3,130

-96.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 $380

$8,918 $8,918

-95.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$5,354 $5,354

-94.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,130 $1,130

$19.4K $19.4K

-94.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$884 $884

$6,806 $6,806

-87.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$679 $679

$5,343 $5,343

-87.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

31.96%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ambato

$147 24.3%

New York, NY

$545 11% 271% $398

Accommodation & Living

Ambato

$124 20.5%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 2419% $3K

Eating Out

Ambato

$99 16.4%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 307% $304

Clothing & Footwear

Ambato

$95 15.6%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 82% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambato

$79 13.1%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 360% $285

Sport & Entertainment

Ambato

$39 6.4%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 337% $130

Getting Around

Ambato

$22 3.7%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 645% $144

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Ambato versus $4,389 in New York, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 686% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ambato versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $545 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ambato

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

13:50 1:50 PM

1 h ahead of Ambato

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,185

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Ambato New York, NY 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambato
New York, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ambato vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 718% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $908 per month in Ambato and $7,424 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ambato, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ambato and $122 in New York, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $605 in Ambato and $4,950 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 718%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ambato. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.