Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Paso, TX and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,125 in El Paso, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in El Paso, TX
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El Paso, TX Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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El Paso, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,125

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,125 per month in El Paso, TX vs $1,014 in Quito, rent included.

El Paso, TX $2,125
Quito $1,014

A couple spends around $3,167 per month in El Paso, TX vs $1,641 in Quito, rent included.

El Paso, TX $3,167
Quito $1,641

A family of three spends $4,209 per month in El Paso, TX vs $2,269 in Quito, rent included.

El Paso, TX $4,209
Quito $2,269

El Paso, TX costs about 109% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

El Paso, TX sits 57% above the global median, while Quito is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.86 $18.86

$5.55 $5.55

239.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 $77.0

$54.6 $54.6

40.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$7.63 $7.63

56.09%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$3.33 $3.33

81.98%

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

$2.37 $2.37

$1.36 $1.36

74.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.14 $1.14

41.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.69 $3.69

66.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$6.16 $6.16

12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.15 $1.15

-28.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.61 $1.61

78.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.51 $1.51

64.90%

Eggs

$3.48 $3.48

$2.15 $2.15

61.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 $11.79

$6.47 $6.47

82.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$5.33 $5.33

119.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 $12.69

$7.77 $7.77

63.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.23 $2.23

61.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.24 $1.24

19.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.27 $1.27

96.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.08 $1.08

232.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.24 $1.24

73.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.06 $1.06

159.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.91 $0.91

102.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.98 $0.98

59.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.23 $10.23

$5.95 $5.95

71.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.46 $9.46

$8.35 $8.35

13.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.52 $1.52

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.20 $3.20

53.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.33 $0.33

342.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.84 $48.84

$21.42 $21.42

128.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.53 $1.53

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.53 $1.53

-10.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 $27.31

$10.01 $10.01

172.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.85 $0.85

12.94%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$22.7K $22.7K

20.79%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$29.6K $29.6K

-11.73%

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

$163 $163

$28.99 $28.99

463.78%

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

$72.6 $72.6

$17.94 $17.94

304.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$28.85 $28.85

139.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.03 $18.03

$45.09 $45.09

-60.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.43 $8.43

$17.78 $17.78

-52.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 $11.99

$6.75 $6.75

77.63%

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

$699 $699

$743 $743

-5.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K $11.6K

$8,223 $8,223

40.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 $45.52

$69.8 $69.8

-34.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.91 $35.91

$50.3 $50.3

-28.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$113 $113

-9.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 $177

$107 $107

65.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 $1,072

$542 $542

97.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 $908

$354 $354

156.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$1,141 $1,141

38.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 $1,471

$638 $638

130.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 $1,930

$1,636 $1,636

17.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 $1,702

$663 $663

156.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,348 $3,348

$603 $603

455.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

10.12

-35.67%

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

Last update for El Paso, TX: November 3, 2026

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Paso, TX

$908 42.7%

Quito

$354 34.9% 61% $553

Groceries & Markets

El Paso, TX

$325 15.3%

Quito

$193 19% 40.7% $132

Eating Out

El Paso, TX

$320 15.1%

Quito

$148 14.6% 53.7% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Paso, TX

$305 14.4%

Quito

$76 7.5% 75.2% $229

Clothing & Footwear

El Paso, TX

$162 7.6%

Quito

$153 15.1% 5.7% $9.2

Getting Around

El Paso, TX

$63 3%

Quito

$32 3.2% 49.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

El Paso, TX

$42 2%

Quito

$59 5.8% 39.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,072 in El Paso, TX versus $542 in Quito. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in El Paso, TX are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in El Paso, TX versus $55 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $193 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 El Paso, TX

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

21:41 9:41 PM

2 h ahead of El Paso, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

678,815

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

El Paso, TX Quito 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

El Paso, 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

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

El Paso, TX costs about 109% more than Quito, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,187 per month in El Paso, TX and $1,521 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $542 there versus $1,072 in El Paso, TX.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,125 in El Paso, TX and $1,014 in Quito. That makes Quito about 52% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in El Paso, TX at $2,125. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in El Paso, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Quito has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,014 in Quito to $2,125 in El Paso, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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