Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Collins, CO and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,815 in Fort Collins, CO, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,815

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,815 in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,014 in Quito.

Fort Collins, CO $2,815
Quito $1,014

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,967 in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,641 in Quito.

Fort Collins, CO $3,967
Quito $1,641

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,119 in Fort Collins, CO versus $2,269 in Quito.

Fort Collins, CO $5,119
Quito $2,269

Living in Fort Collins, CO is roughly 178% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort Collins, CO is 108% above, Quito is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.17 $22.17

$5.55 $5.55

299.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$54.6 $54.6

47.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 $11.16

$7.63 $7.63

46.26%

Cappuccino

$6.28 $6.28

$3.33 $3.33

88.59%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.36 $1.36

78.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.14 $1.14

82.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 $7.05

$3.69 $3.69

91.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$6.16 $6.16

12.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.15 $1.15

-9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.61 $1.61

78.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.51 $1.51

84.77%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.15 $2.15

99.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.91 $10.91

$6.47 $6.47

68.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.09 $9.09

$5.33 $5.33

70.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.04 $19.04

$7.77 $7.77

145.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.23 $2.23

122.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.24 $1.24

27.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.27 $1.27

265.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$1.08 $1.08

389.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.24 $1.24

177.42%

Onion (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$1.06 $1.06

345.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.91 $0.91

148.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.98 $0.98

74.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 $10.38

$5.95 $5.95

74.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 $16.63

$8.35 $8.35

99.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.52 $1.52

63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.20 $3.20

-18.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.53 $1.53

64.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.53 $1.53

20.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.65 $24.65

$10.01 $10.01

146.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.85 $0.85

25.88%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$22.7K $22.7K

24.29%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$29.6K $29.6K

-13.15%

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

$211 $211

$28.99 $28.99

626.94%

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

$56.0 $56.0

$17.94 $17.94

212.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

$28.85 $28.85

143.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 $50.3

$45.09 $45.09

11.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.35 $30.35

$17.78 $17.78

70.70%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$6.75 $6.75

79.56%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$743 $743

74.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K $11.5K

$8,223 $8,223

40.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 $59.3

$69.8 $69.8

-15.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.1 $68.1

$50.3 $50.3

35.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 $81.6

$113 $113

-27.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$107 $107

8.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,876 $1,876

$542 $542

246.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 $1,510

$354 $354

326.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 $2,852

$1,141 $1,141

149.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 $2,194

$638 $638

244.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,047 $4,047

$1,636 $1,636

147.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,856 $2,856

$663 $663

330.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,357 $4,357

$603 $603

622.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

10.12

-33.10%

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

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: November 1, 2026

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Collins, CO

$1.5K 53.6%

Quito

$354 34.9% 76.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Fort Collins, CO

$382 13.6%

Quito

$193 19% 49.6% $190

Eating Out

Fort Collins, CO

$353 12.6%

Quito

$148 14.6% 58.1% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Collins, CO

$337 12%

Quito

$76 7.5% 77.5% $261

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Collins, CO

$146 5.2%

Quito

$153 15.1% 4.5% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Collins, CO

$75 2.7%

Quito

$59 5.8% 21.4% $16

Getting Around

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4%

Quito

$32 3.2% 172% $20

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 $1,876 in Fort Collins, CO and $542 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Collins, CO pays about 7.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $81 in Fort Collins, CO vs $55 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $193 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

09:30 9:30 AM

2 h ahead of Fort Collins, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,612

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

Fort Collins, CO Quito 5,270 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Collins, 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

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

Quito wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Fort Collins, 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 Fort Collins, CO is about 7.2 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: $1,876 in Fort Collins, CO versus $542 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 98% higher in Fort Collins, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,815 per month in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,014 in Quito – Quito is about 64% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,014 in Quito versus $2,815 in Fort Collins, CO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Fort Collins, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Quito delivers better value at $1,014 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Quito hard to pass up.

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