Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort St John, BC and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $1,913 in Fort St John, BC, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Fort St John, BC
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Fort St John, BC Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Fort St John, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,913

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,913 in Fort St John, BC versus $978 in Quito.

Fort St John, BC $1,913
Quito $978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,956 in Fort St John, BC versus $1,586 in Quito.

Fort St John, BC $2,956
Quito $1,586

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,000 in Fort St John, BC versus $2,194 in Quito.

Fort St John, BC $4,000
Quito $2,194

Living in Fort St John, BC is roughly 96% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort St John, BC is 42% above, Quito is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 CA$24.37

$6.08 $6.08

183.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.68 CA$58.9

$55.5 $55.5

-24.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 CA$13.11

$7.61 $7.61

21.94%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.40 $3.40

12.94%

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

$1.71 CA$2.42

$1.37 $1.37

24.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 CA$1.70

$1.09 $1.09

10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.20 CA$8.76

$3.43 $3.43

80.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 CA$6.51

$6.06 $6.06

-23.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.36 CA$4.75

$1.14 $1.14

194.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.91

$1.60 $1.60

73.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$1.58 $1.58

134.18%

Eggs

$3.93 CA$5.56

$2.12 $2.12

85.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 CA$16.69

$6.58 $6.58

79.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.63 CA$19.27

$5.51 $5.51

147.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.56 CA$26.23

$7.65 $7.65

142.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.70 CA$8.06

$2.24 $2.24

154.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 CA$0.95

$1.19 $1.19

-43.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.30

$1.33 $1.33

181.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 CA$4.95

$1.13 $1.13

209.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.86

$1.24 $1.24

120.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.02 $1.02

176.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 CA$2.87

$0.92 $0.92

120.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$1.05 $1.05

139.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.53 CA$20.55

$6.16 $6.16

135.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.83 CA$29.44

$10.07 $10.07

106.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.98 CA$7.04

$1.58 $1.58

215.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 CA$7.80

$3.09 $3.09

78.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$0.36 $0.36

280.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.24 CA$39.92

$21.37 $21.37

32.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.65

$0.81 $0.81

44.44%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

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

$27.9K $27.9K

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

$124 CA$175

$28.75 $28.75

330.85%

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

$96.6 CA$137

$17.86 $17.86

441.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CA$83.9

$28.20 $28.20

110.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.11 CA$18.53

$46.08 $46.08

-71.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 CA$14.93

$6.34 $6.34

66.56%

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

$707 CA$1,000

$739 $739

-4.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 CA$101

$71.0 $71.0

0.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.86 CA$66.3

$50.4 $50.4

-7.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$149

$114 $114

-7.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 CA$197

$107 $107

29.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 CA$1,041

$491 $491

50.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 CA$979

$309 $309

124.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 CA$2,149

$932 $932

63.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 CA$1,951

$540 $540

155.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,001 CA$4,243

$594 $594

405.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

10.12

-39.72%

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

Last update for Fort St John, BC: October 10, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort St John, BC

$692 36.2%

Quito

$309 31.6% 55.4% $384

Groceries & Markets

Fort St John, BC

$446 23.3%

Quito

$198 20.3% 55.6% $248

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort St John, BC

$280 14.6%

Quito

$75 7.7% 73.3% $205

Eating Out

Fort St John, BC

$264 13.8%

Quito

$151 15.5% 42.6% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Fort St John, BC

$163 8.5%

Quito

$154 15.8% 5.4% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Fort St John, BC

$34 1.8%

Quito

$59 6% 71.7% $25

Getting Around

Fort St John, BC

$34 * 1.8%

Quito

$32 3.3% 5.8% $1.9

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 $737 in Fort St John, BC and $491 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort St John, BC pays 405% 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: $42.00 in Fort St John, BC vs $55.0 in Quito. Groceries flip the comparison at $446 vs $198, with Quito cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Fort St John, BC

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

2 h ahead of Fort St John, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,609

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Fort St John, BC Quito 7,330 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort St John, BC
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 St John, BC vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 405% higher in Fort St John, BC, 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: $737 in Fort St John, BC versus $491 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Quito – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $42.00 in Fort St John, BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,913 per month in Fort St John, BC versus $978 in Quito – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $978 in Quito versus $1,913 in Fort St John, BC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Fort St John, BC. 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 Fort St John, BC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Fort St John, BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.