Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver, CO and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $3,060 in Denver, CO, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
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Denver, CO Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,060

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Denver, CO 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 Denver, CO and in Quito actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,060 in Denver, CO versus $1,014 in Quito.

Denver, CO $3,060
Quito $1,014

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,532 in Denver, CO versus $1,641 in Quito.

Denver, CO $4,532
Quito $1,641

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,004 in Denver, CO versus $2,269 in Quito.

Denver, CO $6,004
Quito $2,269

Living in Denver, CO is roughly 202% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Denver, CO is 126% above, Quito is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$5.55 $5.55

254.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 $84.5

$54.6 $54.6

54.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$7.63 $7.63

55.18%

Cappuccino

$5.92 $5.92

$3.33 $3.33

77.78%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$1.36 $1.36

113.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.14 $1.14

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 $6.84

$3.69 $3.69

85.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.39 $7.39

$6.16 $6.16

19.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.15 $1.15

0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$5.32 $5.32

$1.61 $1.61

230.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.53 $7.53

$1.51 $1.51

398.68%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$2.15 $2.15

118.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.92 $16.92

$6.47 $6.47

161.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.09 $17.09

$5.33 $5.33

220.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$7.77 $7.77

140.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.23 $2.23

126.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.24 $1.24

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.27 $1.27

261.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$1.08 $1.08

392.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.24 $1.24

91.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.06 $1.06

166.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.91 $0.91

149.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.98 $0.98

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.76 $10.76

$5.95 $5.95

80.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 $19.41

$8.35 $8.35

132.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.52 $1.52

82.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.20 $3.20

22.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 $2.76

$0.33 $0.33

736.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.9 $87.9

$21.42 $21.42

310.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.53 $1.53

130.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.53 $1.53

13.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.43 $30.43

$10.01 $10.01

204.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.85 $0.85

23.53%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$22.7K $22.7K

35.26%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$29.6K $29.6K

-11.72%

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

$164 $164

$28.99 $28.99

464.30%

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

$77.7 $77.7

$17.94 $17.94

333.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$28.85 $28.85

139.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 $59.2

$45.09 $45.09

31.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.74 $24.74

$17.78 $17.78

39.15%

Cinema Ticket

$15.10 $15.10

$6.75 $6.75

123.70%

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

$2,281 $2,281

$743 $743

207.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.6K $35.6K

$8,223 $8,223

332.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 $69.3

$69.8 $69.8

-0.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.23 $45.23

$50.3 $50.3

-10.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$113 $113

-8.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$107 $107

25.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,846 $1,846

$542 $542

240.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,555 $1,555

$354 $354

338.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 $3,368

$1,141 $1,141

195.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 $2,602

$638 $638

308.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,502 $5,502

$1,636 $1,636

236.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,497 $3,497

$663 $663

427.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,429 $5,429

$603 $603

800.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

10.12

-32.21%

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

Last update for Denver, CO: 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

Denver, CO

$1.6K 50.8%

Quito

$354 34.9% 77.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Denver, CO

$502 16.4%

Quito

$193 19% 61.6% $310

Eating Out

Denver, CO

$334 10.9%

Quito

$148 14.6% 55.6% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver, CO

$310 10.1%

Quito

$76 7.5% 75.6% $235

Clothing & Footwear

Denver, CO

$158 5.2%

Quito

$153 15.1% 3.4% $5.3

Getting Around

Denver, CO

$111 3.6%

Quito

$32 3.2% 71.3% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Denver, CO

$89 2.9%

Quito

$59 5.8% 34.5% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,846 in Denver, CO and $542 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denver, CO pays about 9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Denver, CO vs $55 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $502 vs $193 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

19:04 7:04 PM

21:04 9:04 PM

2 h ahead of Denver, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

715,522

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

Denver, CO Quito 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Denver, CO
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

Denver, CO vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Denver, CO. 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 Denver, CO is about 9 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: $1,846 in Denver, CO versus $542 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 161% higher in Denver, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Quito – a meal for two runs $55 versus $84 in Denver, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,014 in Quito versus $3,060 in Denver, CO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Denver, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quito is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Denver, CO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Denver, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.