Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Downey, CA and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $3,035 in Downey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Downey, CA
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Downey, CA Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Downey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,035

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,035 in Downey, CA versus $978 in Quito.

Downey, CA $3,035
Quito $978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,713 in Downey, CA versus $1,586 in Quito.

Downey, CA $4,713
Quito $1,586

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,391 in Downey, CA versus $2,194 in Quito.

Downey, CA $6,391
Quito $2,194

Living in Downey, CA is roughly 210% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Downey, CA is 125% above, Quito is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.83 $24.83

$6.08 $6.08

308.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 $80.2

$55.5 $55.5

44.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$7.61 $7.61

99.87%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.40 $3.40

66.47%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$1.37 $1.37

130.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.09 $1.09

114.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 $7.38

$3.43 $3.43

115.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.36 $9.36

$6.06 $6.06

54.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.14 $1.14

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.60 $1.60

156.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.58 $1.58

197.47%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$2.12 $2.12

120.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.58 $6.58

96.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$5.51 $5.51

143.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$7.65 $7.65

99.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.24 $2.24

109.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.19 $1.19

38.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.33 $1.33

210.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$1.13 $1.13

384.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.24 $1.24

199.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.02 $1.02

201.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.92 $0.92

120.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.05 $1.05

112.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$6.16 $6.16

89.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$10.07 $10.07

48.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.58 $1.58

27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.09 $3.09

35.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 $6.34

$1.53 $1.53

314.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.81 $0.81

81.48%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$21.3K $21.3K

77.41%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.9K $27.9K

-7.81%

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

$170 $170

$28.75 $28.75

492.31%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$17.86 $17.86

273.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 $72.3

$28.20 $28.20

156.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.92 $34.92

$46.08 $46.08

-24.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$6.34 $6.34

138.33%

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

$1,188 $1,188

$739 $739

60.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 $58.6

$71.0 $71.0

-17.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.89 $45.89

$50.4 $50.4

-9.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$114 $114

-19.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$107 $107

34.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,946 $1,946

$491 $491

296.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$309 $309

448.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,725 $3,725

$932 $932

299.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,383 $3,383

$540 $540

525.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,755 $5,755

$1,759 $1,759

227.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,766 $5,766

$715 $715

706.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,178 $4,178

$594 $594

603.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

10.12

-36.86%

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

Last update for Downey, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Downey, CA

$1.7K 55.8%

Quito

$309 31.6% 81.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Downey, CA

$419 13.8%

Quito

$198 20.3% 52.7% $221

Eating Out

Downey, CA

$390 12.8%

Quito

$151 15.5% 61.2% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Downey, CA

$309 10.2%

Quito

$75 7.7% 75.8% $234

Clothing & Footwear

Downey, CA

$153 5.1%

Quito

$154 15.8% 0.7% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Downey, CA

$65 2.2%

Quito

$59 6% 9.8% $6.4

Getting Around

Downey, CA

$6.3 * 0.2%

Quito

$32 3.3% 401% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,946 in Downey, CA and $491 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Downey, CA pays 604% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Downey, CA vs $55.0 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $198 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Downey, CA

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

20:34 8:34 PM

2 h ahead of Downey, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,355

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Downey, CA Quito 5,610 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Downey, CA
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

Downey, CA vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 210% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 604% higher in Downey, CA, 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: $1,946 in Downey, CA versus $491 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Downey, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,035 per month in Downey, CA versus $978 in Quito – a 210% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $978 in Quito versus $3,035 in Downey, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Downey, CA. 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 Downey, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Downey, CA and Quito are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Downey, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.