Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Quito

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $1,014 in Quito.

Austin, TX $2,689
Quito $1,014

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,641 in Quito.

Austin, TX $4,112
Quito $1,641

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $2,269 in Quito.

Austin, TX $5,534
Quito $2,269

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 165% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Quito is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$5.55 $5.55

284.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$54.6 $54.6

60.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$7.63 $7.63

63.04%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.33 $3.33

68.17%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$1.36 $1.36

168.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.14 $1.14

109.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$3.69 $3.69

111.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$6.16 $6.16

42.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.15 $1.15

-2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.61 $1.61

124.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.51 $1.51

131.79%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.15 $2.15

106.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$6.47 $6.47

103.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$5.33 $5.33

161.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$7.77 $7.77

111.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.23 $2.23

112.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.24 $1.24

20.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.27 $1.27

265.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.08 $1.08

318.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.24 $1.24

105.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.06 $1.06

125.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.91 $0.91

102.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.98 $0.98

117.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$5.95 $5.95

68.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$8.35 $8.35

78.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.52 $1.52

85.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.20 $3.20

2.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.33 $0.33

272.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$21.42 $21.42

93.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.53 $1.53

75.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.53 $1.53

6.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$10.01 $10.01

251.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.85 $0.85

15.29%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$22.7K $22.7K

51.41%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$29.6K $29.6K

-9.33%

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

$252 $252

$28.99 $28.99

770.06%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$17.94 $17.94

233.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$28.85 $28.85

141.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$45.09 $45.09

33.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$17.78 $17.78

2.02%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$6.75 $6.75

103.70%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$743 $743

96.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$8,223 $8,223

223.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$69.8 $69.8

-24.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$50.3 $50.3

-9.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$113 $113

-24.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$107 $107

-0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$542 $542

305.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$354 $354

258.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,141 $1,141

250.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$638 $638

277.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$1,636 $1,636

351.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$663 $663

347.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$603 $603

736.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

10.12

-32.61%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Quito

$354 34.9% 72.1% $915

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Quito

$193 19% 52.7% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Quito

$76 7.5% 80.1% $306

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Quito

$148 14.6% 58.4% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Quito

$153 15.1% 17.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Quito

$59 5.8% 33.3% $29

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Quito

$32 3.2% 44.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $542 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 8.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $55 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $193 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

00:04 12:04 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Quito 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Quito

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

Austin, TX vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Quito the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 8.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $542 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,014 in Quito – Quito is about 62% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Quito runs roughly 48% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,014 in Quito versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.