Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Esmeraldas and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Esmeraldas: $853 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Esmeraldas
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Esmeraldas Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

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Esmeraldas

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$853

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Esmeraldas versus $1,015 in Quito.

Esmeraldas $853
Quito $1,015

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,412 in Esmeraldas versus $1,636 in Quito.

Esmeraldas $1,412
Quito $1,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,971 in Esmeraldas versus $2,258 in Quito.

Esmeraldas $1,971
Quito $2,258

Living in Esmeraldas costs roughly 16% less than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Esmeraldas 37% lower, Quito 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 $3.02

$5.41 $5.41

-44.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 $53.6

$55.2 $55.2

-2.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.03 $4.03

$7.66 $7.66

-47.39%

Cappuccino

$3.43 $3.43

$3.31 $3.31

3.63%

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

$0.48 $0.48

$1.36 $1.36

-64.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.09 $1.09

-55.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.46 $3.46

2.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 $6.02

$5.85 $5.85

2.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.09 $1.09

-9.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.55 $1.55

2.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.56 $1.56

-2.56%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$2.16 $2.16

-3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$6.45 $6.45

-3.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$5.22 $5.22

-0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$7.66 $7.66

-0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.34 $2.34

-2.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.20 $1.20

-0.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.27 $1.27

3.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.12 $1.12

1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.02 $1.02

1.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.90 $0.90

-46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 $6.04

$6.14 $6.14

-1.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 $8.43

$8.62 $8.62

-2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.58 $1.58

-4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.10 $3.10

1.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 $0.38

$0.36 $0.36

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 $21.34

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 $1.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.54 $1.54

-20.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.81 $9.81

$10.07 $10.07

-2.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.86 $0.86

1.16%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$23.3K $23.3K

-2.52%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$30.5K $30.5K

-0.85%

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

$29.09 $29.09

$28.33 $28.33

2.68%

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

$18.08 $18.08

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.92 $27.92

$28.84 $28.84

-3.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.32 $30.32

$42.86 $42.86

-29.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 $17.06

$17.92 $17.92

-4.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 $6.49

$6.75 $6.75

-3.85%

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

$746 $746

$750 $750

-0.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,069 $9,069

$8,967 $8,967

1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 $69.5

$69.7 $69.7

-0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$49.06 $49.06

2.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$112 $112

2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$110 $110

-2.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 $416

$548 $548

-24.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$362 $362

-24.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 $767

$1,126 $1,126

-31.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 $503

$637 $637

-21.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,654 $1,654

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 $664

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 $452

$606 $606

-25.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

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

Last update for Esmeraldas: October 27, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Esmeraldas

$273 32%

Quito

$362 35.6% 32.6% $89

Groceries & Markets

Esmeraldas

$188 22%

Quito

$192 18.9% 2.2% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Esmeraldas

$154 18.1%

Quito

$153 15.1% 0.5% $0.8

Eating Out

Esmeraldas

$111 13%

Quito

$145 14.3% 30.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Esmeraldas

$75 8.8%

Quito

$75 7.4% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Esmeraldas

$43 5.1%

Quito

$56 5.6% 30.1% $13

Getting Around

Esmeraldas

$9.1 * 1.1%

Quito

$32 3.2% 250% $23

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 $416 in Esmeraldas and $548 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quito pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $54 in Esmeraldas vs $55 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $192 per month, with Esmeraldas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Esmeraldas

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

Same time as Esmeraldas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,216

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Esmeraldas Quito 180 km

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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

Esmeraldas vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Esmeraldas is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Esmeraldas. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $416 in Esmeraldas versus $548 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $746 in Esmeraldas versus $750 in Quito. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $853 per month in Esmeraldas versus $1,015 in Quito – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $853 in Esmeraldas versus $1,015 in Quito, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Esmeraldas but tight or insufficient in Quito. The gap between the two cities makes Esmeraldas 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.

It comes down to priorities – Esmeraldas wins on affordability, Quito on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.