Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Galapagos Islands and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in the Galapagos Islands: $884 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in the Galapagos Islands
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Galapagos Islands Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

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Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$884

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $884 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $1,015 in Quito, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $884
Quito $1,015

A couple spends around $1,336 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $1,636 in Quito, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $1,336
Quito $1,636

A family of three spends $1,789 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $2,258 in Quito, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $1,789
Quito $2,258

Galapagos Islands is about 13% cheaper than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Galapagos Islands and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Galapagos Islands 35% lower, Quito 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 $3.54

$5.41 $5.41

-34.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.52 $27.52

$55.2 $55.2

-50.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 $7.27

$7.66 $7.66

-5.09%

Cappuccino

$2.50 $2.50

$3.31 $3.31

-24.47%

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

$0.85 $0.85

$1.36 $1.36

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.09 $1.09

-39.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.46 $3.46

-41.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$5.85 $5.85

-39.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.55 $1.55

4.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.56 $1.56

0.64%

Eggs

$2.17 $2.17

$2.16 $2.16

0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$6.45 $6.45

-15.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$5.22 $5.22

6.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$7.66 $7.66

-18.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.34 $2.34

-13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.20 $1.20

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.27 $1.27

-14.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.12 $1.12

-4.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.19 $1.19

21.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.02 $1.02

0.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.90 $0.90

-43.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.00 $1.00

-1.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 $5.86

$6.14 $6.14

-4.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.92 $9.92

$8.62 $8.62

15.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.58 $1.58

-4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.10 $3.10

-18.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.36 $0.36

2.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.14 $24.14

$21.34 $21.34

13.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.46 $1.46

1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.54 $1.54

-34.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.92 $9.92

$10.07 $10.07

-1.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

$0.86 $0.86

-23.26%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$23.3K $23.3K

8.37%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$30.5K $30.5K

-6.91%

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

$39.48 $39.48

$28.33 $28.33

39.36%

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

$13.57 $13.57

$18.08 $18.08

-24.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 $31.19

$28.84 $28.84

8.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.46 $29.46

$42.86 $42.86

-31.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 $14.80

$17.92 $17.92

-17.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 $7.18

$6.75 $6.75

6.37%

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

$253 $253

$750 $750

-66.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,750 $5,750

$8,967 $8,967

-35.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$69.7 $69.7

-20.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.02 $43.02

$49.06 $49.06

-12.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 $98.0

$112 $112

-12.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 $75.9

$110 $110

-30.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 $340

$548 $548

-38.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 $314

$362 $362

-13.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 $633

$1,126 $1,126

-43.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 $499

$637 $637

-21.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,218 $1,218

$1,654 $1,654

-26.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$998 $998

$664 $664

50.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 $606

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

-1.19%

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

Last update for the Galapagos Islands: October 25, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galapagos Islands

$314 35.5%

Quito

$362 35.6% 15.3% $48

Groceries & Markets

Galapagos Islands

$184 20.9%

Quito

$192 18.9% 4% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Galapagos Islands

$123 13.9%

Quito

$153 15.1% 24.9% $31

Eating Out

Galapagos Islands

$103 11.7%

Quito

$145 14.3% 40.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galapagos Islands

$84 9.5%

Quito

$75 7.4% 10.7% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Galapagos Islands

$44 5%

Quito

$56 5.6% 28.6% $13

Getting Around

Galapagos Islands

$32 3.6%

Quito

$32 3.2% 0.6% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $340 in the Galapagos Islands versus $548 in Quito. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in the Galapagos Islands versus $55 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $192 – making Galapagos Islands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

23:27 11:27 PM

1 h ahead of the Galapagos Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,000

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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Between locations

Galapagos Islands Quito 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Galapagos Islands
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

Galapagos Islands vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $884 in the Galapagos Islands, $1,015 in Quito – Galapagos Islands comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,326 per month in the Galapagos Islands and $1,522 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in the Galapagos Islands, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $548 in Quito.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Quito, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in the Galapagos Islands and $55 in Quito. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $884 in the Galapagos Islands and $1,015 in Quito, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward the Galapagos Islands – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.