Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambato and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $603 a month against $2,683 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $25,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
Learn more

Ambato Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index

Jump to prices

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$603

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambato and in Vancouver

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 Vancouver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $603 per month in Ambato vs $2,683 in Vancouver, rent included.

Ambato $603
Vancouver $2,683

A couple spends around $991 per month in Ambato vs $3,963 in Vancouver, rent included.

Ambato $991
Vancouver $3,963

A family of three spends $1,379 per month in Ambato vs $5,244 in Vancouver, rent included.

Ambato $1,379
Vancouver $5,244

Ambato is about 78% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ambato sits 55% below the global median, while Vancouver is 98% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$18.10 CA$25.37

-80.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.53 $29.53

$71.0 CA$99.5

-58.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 $5.22

$10.57 CA$14.81

-50.61%

Cappuccino

$2.66 $2.66

$3.97 CA$5.56

-33.00%

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

$0.81 $0.81

$2.07 CA$2.90

-60.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.85 CA$2.59

-60.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$5.67 CA$7.95

-65.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$6.61 CA$9.27

-47.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.16 CA$3.02

-54.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.58 CA$3.62

-60.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$4.30 CA$6.02

-64.42%

Eggs

$1.69 $1.69

$4.09 CA$5.74

-58.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$12.12 CA$16.98

-53.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$13.28 CA$18.62

-76.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$20.11 CA$28.19

-80.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$3.96 CA$5.56

-67.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.43 CA$2.00

-39.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.71 CA$5.20

-73.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.92 CA$5.50

-75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.87 CA$4.02

-71.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.98 CA$4.17

-66.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 $0.71

$2.61 CA$3.66

-72.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.63 CA$2.29

-36.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 $5.37

$15.94 CA$22.35

-66.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 $8.94

$14.25 CA$19.97

-37.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.52 CA$3.54

-42.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.87 CA$4.03

-3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$2.57 CA$3.60

-87.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.77 $13.77

$84.4 CA$118

-83.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 $0.63

$2.74 CA$3.85

-77.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.63 CA$2.28

-33.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.72 $9.72

$31.90 CA$44.71

-69.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.46 CA$2.04

-43.15%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$26.7K CA$37.4K

-12.54%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$21.0K CA$29.5K

33.86%

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

$39.43 $39.43

$88.2 CA$124

-55.32%

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

$13.01 $13.01

$36.72 CA$51.5

-64.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.62 $26.62

$49.81 CA$69.8

-46.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.70 $29.70

$45.34 CA$63.6

-34.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.28 $16.28

$12.13 CA$17.00

34.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 $4.52

$12.55 CA$17.59

-63.98%

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

$221 $221

$1,055 CA$1,479

-79.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,453 $2,453

$28.5K CA$39.9K

-91.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.58 $47.58

$56.4 CA$79.1

-15.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.68 $35.68

$34.37 CA$48.18

3.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 $71.7

$89.8 CA$126

-20.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.6 $54.6

$94.3 CA$132

-42.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 $178

$1,738 CA$2,436

-89.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 $123

$1,528 CA$2,143

-91.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 $377

$3,107 CA$4,355

-87.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 $274

$2,547 CA$3,570

-89.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,161 $1,161

$8,540 CA$12.0K

-86.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$908 $908

$6,328 CA$8,870

-85.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$666 $666

$3,770 CA$5,284

-82.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

112.26%

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

Last update for Ambato: November 2, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ambato

$148 24.5%

Vancouver

$398 14.9% 169% $250

Accommodation & Living

Ambato

$123 20.4%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 1141% $1.4K

Eating Out

Ambato

$99 16.4%

Vancouver

$281 10.5% 184% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Ambato

$94 15.6%

Vancouver

$124 4.6% 31.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambato

$79 13.1%

Vancouver

$175 6.5% 121% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Ambato

$39 6.4%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 81.8% $32

Getting Around

Ambato

$21 3.5%

Vancouver

$106 3.9% 401% $84

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Ambato versus $1,738 in Vancouver. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Vancouver are about 5.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Ambato versus $71 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $398 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ambato

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

02:09 2:09 AM

00:09 12:09 AM

2 h behind Ambato

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,185

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ambato Vancouver 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambato
Vancouver

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 Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 345% 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 $905 per month in Ambato and $4,024 in Vancouver. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $178 there versus $1,738 in Vancouver.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Ambato and $71 in Vancouver. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $603 in Ambato and $2,683 in Vancouver. That makes Ambato about 78% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $603, than in Vancouver at $2,683. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ambato – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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