Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellensburg, WA and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $2,373 in Ellensburg, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Ellensburg, WA
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Ellensburg, WA Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Ellensburg, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,373

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,373 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $978 in Quito, rent included.

Ellensburg, WA $2,373
Quito $978

A couple spends around $3,450 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $1,586 in Quito, rent included.

Ellensburg, WA $3,450
Quito $1,586

A family of three spends $4,527 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $2,194 in Quito, rent included.

Ellensburg, WA $4,527
Quito $2,194

Ellensburg, WA costs about 143% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ellensburg, WA sits 76% above the global median, while Quito is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 $15.04

$6.08 $6.08

147.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$55.5 $55.5

33.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 $11.93

$7.61 $7.61

56.77%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$3.40 $3.40

53.82%

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

$1.53 $1.53

$1.37 $1.37

11.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.09 $1.09

11.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.43 $3.43

44.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$6.06 $6.06

-1.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.14 $1.14

-13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.60 $1.60

74.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$1.58 $1.58

195.57%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$2.12 $2.12

99.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.58 $15.58

$6.58 $6.58

136.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$5.51 $5.51

18.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 $13.85

$7.65 $7.65

81.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.24 $2.24

115.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.19 $1.19

21.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.33 $1.33

220.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.13 $1.13

251.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.24 $1.24

20.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.02 $1.02

116.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.92 $0.92

121.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.05 $1.05

73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$6.16 $6.16

59.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.07 $10.07

37.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.58 $1.58

14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.09 $3.09

60.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.36 $0.36

461.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$1.53 $1.53

231.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.49 $1.49

17.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.36 $40.36

$9.84 $9.84

310.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.81 $0.81

33.33%

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

$32.0K $32.0K

$21.3K $21.3K

50.55%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

-6.09%

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

$152 $152

$28.75 $28.75

428.52%

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

$39.44 $39.44

$17.86 $17.86

120.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 $69.3

$28.20 $28.20

145.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.32 $42.32

$46.08 $46.08

-8.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 $15.73

$6.34 $6.34

148.11%

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

$1,360 $1,360

$739 $739

84.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K $21.8K

$8,909 $8,909

144.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.99 $34.99

$71.0 $71.0

-50.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.67 $34.67

$50.4 $50.4

-31.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$114 $114

-5.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.70 $40.70

$107 $107

-62.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 $1,571

$491 $491

220.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$309 $309

321.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,528 $2,528

$932 $932

171.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$540 $540

290.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,525 $4,525

$1,759 $1,759

157.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,445 $4,445

$715 $715

522.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,770 $1,770

$594 $594

198.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

10.12

-35.77%

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

Last update for Ellensburg, WA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ellensburg, WA

$1.3K 54.9%

Quito

$309 31.6% 76.3% $993

Groceries & Markets

Ellensburg, WA

$350 14.7%

Quito

$198 20.3% 43.4% $152

Eating Out

Ellensburg, WA

$267 11.2%

Quito

$151 15.5% 43.2% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ellensburg, WA

$261 11%

Quito

$75 7.7% 71.3% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Ellensburg, WA

$98 4.1%

Quito

$154 15.8% 57% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Ellensburg, WA

$74 3.1%

Quito

$59 6% 20.3% $15

Getting Around

Ellensburg, WA

$22 * 0.9%

Quito

$32 3.3% 44.9% $9.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,571 in Ellensburg, WA versus $491 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 run about 198% higher in Ellensburg, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Ellensburg, WA versus $55.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ellensburg, WA

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

02:34 2:34 AM

2 h ahead of Ellensburg, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,666

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

Ellensburg, WA Quito 6,640 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ellensburg, WA
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

Ellensburg, WA vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ellensburg, WA costs about 143% more than Quito, 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 $3,559 per month in Ellensburg, WA and $1,467 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Ellensburg, WA and $55.0 in Quito. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 77% more in Ellensburg, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Ellensburg, WA at $2,373. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ellensburg, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quito costs $978 versus $2,373 in Ellensburg, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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