Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guayaquil and Cotacachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotacachi: $717 a month against $1,235 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Cotacachi
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Cotacachi Living Index

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Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,235

/mo nomad

Cotacachi

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guayaquil and in Cotacachi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guayaquil and in Cotacachi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Guayaquil versus $717 in Cotacachi.

Guayaquil $1,235
Cotacachi $717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,918 in Guayaquil versus $1,170 in Cotacachi.

Guayaquil $1,918
Cotacachi $1,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,600 in Guayaquil versus $1,623 in Cotacachi.

Guayaquil $2,600
Cotacachi $1,623

Living in Guayaquil is roughly 72% more expensive than in Cotacachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guayaquil 9% lower, Cotacachi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.91 $3.91

$3.88 $3.88

0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 $53.3

$25.87 $25.87

106.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 $8.76

$4.58 $4.58

91.27%

Cappuccino

$2.82 $2.82

$2.21 $2.21

27.60%

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

$0.94 $0.94

$1.36 $1.36

-30.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.80 $0.80

-15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.97 $1.97

53.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.01 $4.01

8.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.10 $1.10

10.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.53 $1.53

26.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.52 $1.52

-4.61%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$2.11 $2.11

-2.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$6.40 $6.40

9.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$5.27 $5.27

-0.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 $9.29

$7.46 $7.46

24.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.21 $2.21

-33.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.14 $1.14

0.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.32 $1.32

-25.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.10 $1.10

-18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.24 $1.24

-0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.06 $1.06

-12.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.83 $0.83

-2.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.03 $1.03

-5.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.46 $4.46

32.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$7.35 $7.35

65.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.51 $1.51

3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.05 $3.05

-29.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.45 $0.45

-24.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 $20.71

$15.03 $15.03

37.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.24 $1.24

119.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.97 $0.97

77.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.89 $9.89

22.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.77 $0.77

9.09%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$22.7K $22.7K

1.97%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$29.9K $29.9K

3.15%

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

$128 $128

$29.09 $29.09

341.11%

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

$14.99 $14.99

$12.57 $12.57

19.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.69 $25.69

$26.27 $26.27

-2.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.63 $44.63

$30.56 $30.56

46.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 $26.98

$10.16 $10.16

165.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 $7.55

$6.52 $6.52

15.80%

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

$370 $370

$76.0 $76.0

387.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,607 $5,607

$2,952 $2,952

89.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 $64.1

$41.41 $41.41

54.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 $40.54

$42.47 $42.47

-4.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$95.1 $95.1

32.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 $93.4

$59.2 $59.2

57.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 $656

$264 $264

148.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 $505

$190 $190

165.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 $1,001

$473 $473

111.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 $929

$414 $414

124.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,039 $2,039

$598 $598

241.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 $1,205

$517 $517

133.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 $622

$433 $433

43.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

10.12

-0.69%

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

Last update for Guayaquil: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cotacachi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guayaquil

$505 40.9%

Cotacachi

$190 26.5% 62.4% $315

Groceries & Markets

Guayaquil

$200 16.2%

Cotacachi

$187 26.1% 6.4% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guayaquil

$169 13.7%

Cotacachi

$68 9.5% 59.8% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Guayaquil

$146 11.8%

Cotacachi

$107 15% 26.6% $39

Eating Out

Guayaquil

$122 9.9%

Cotacachi

$98 13.6% 19.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Guayaquil

$60 4.8%

Cotacachi

$44 6.1% 27% $16

Getting Around

Guayaquil

$33 2.7%

Cotacachi

$23 3.2% 31.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $656 in Guayaquil and $264 in Cotacachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guayaquil pays 44% 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: $53 in Guayaquil vs $26 in Cotacachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $187 per month, with Cotacachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Cotacachi

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

Same time as Guayaquil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000

8,238

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Guayaquil vs Cotacachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,235 in Guayaquil and $717 in Cotacachi, so Cotacachi is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Guayaquil, 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: $656 in Guayaquil versus $264 in Cotacachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cotacachi runs roughly 27% less than in Guayaquil. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $370 in Guayaquil versus $76 in Cotacachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $717 in Cotacachi versus $1,235 in Guayaquil, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Cotacachi but tight or insufficient in Guayaquil. The gap between the two cities makes Cotacachi 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.

Expats usually find Cotacachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Guayaquil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.