Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guayaquil and Montanita

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $893 a month against $1,235 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index

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Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,235

/mo nomad

Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guayaquil and in Montanita

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 Montanita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Guayaquil vs $893 in Montanita, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,235
Montanita $893

A couple spends around $1,918 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,344 in Montanita, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,918
Montanita $1,344

A family of three spends $2,600 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,796 in Montanita, rent included.

Guayaquil $2,600
Montanita $1,796

Guayaquil costs about 38% more than Montanita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Guayaquil and Montanita are more affordable than the global median – Guayaquil 9% lower, Montanita 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.91 $3.91

$3.44 $3.44

13.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 $53.3

$27.67 $27.67

92.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 $8.76

$7.30 $7.30

20.00%

Cappuccino

$2.82 $2.82

$2.40 $2.40

17.50%

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

$0.94 $0.94

$0.85 $0.85

10.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.63 $0.63

7.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.96 $1.96

54.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 $4.35

$3.59 $3.59

21.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.13 $1.13

7.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.71 $1.71

12.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.50 $1.50

-3.33%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$2.10 $2.10

-1.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$5.40 $5.40

30.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$5.45 $5.45

-4.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 $9.29

$6.40 $6.40

45.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.10 $2.10

-29.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.22 $1.22

-5.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.09 $1.09

-10.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.09 $1.09

-17.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.43 $1.43

-13.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.02 $1.02

-8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.49 $0.49

65.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.02 $1.02

-4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 $5.90

$6.10 $6.10

-3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$9.82 $9.82

23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.52 $1.52

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.55 $2.55

-15.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.36 $0.36

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 $20.71

$23.56 $23.56

-12.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.53 $1.53

77.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.02 $1.02

68.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.03 $10.03

20.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.62 $0.62

35.48%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$24.9K $24.9K

-7.02%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$28.3K $28.3K

9.06%

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

$128 $128

$40.55 $40.55

216.45%

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

$14.99 $14.99

$13.96 $13.96

7.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.69 $25.69

$30.87 $30.87

-16.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.63 $44.63

$29.86 $29.86

49.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 $26.98

$14.43 $14.43

86.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 $7.55

$7.33 $7.33

3.00%

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

$370 $370

$256 $256

44.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,607 $5,607

$5,690 $5,690

-1.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 $64.1

$55.5 $55.5

15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 $40.54

$42.86 $42.86

-5.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$101 $101

25.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 $93.4

$74.8 $74.8

24.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 $656

$336 $336

95.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 $505

$321 $321

57.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 $1,001

$622 $622

61.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 $929

$503 $503

84.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,039 $2,039

$1,245 $1,245

63.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 $1,205

$1,013 $1,013

18.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 $622

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

0.50%

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

Last update for Guayaquil: October 27, 2026

Last update for Montanita: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guayaquil

$505 40.9%

Montanita

$321 35.9% 36.4% $184

Groceries & Markets

Guayaquil

$200 16.2%

Montanita

$186 20.8% 7.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guayaquil

$169 13.7%

Montanita

$85 9.6% 49.5% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Guayaquil

$146 11.8%

Montanita

$123 13.8% 15.6% $23

Eating Out

Guayaquil

$122 9.9%

Montanita

$101 11.3% 16.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Guayaquil

$60 4.8%

Montanita

$45 5% 25.5% $15

Getting Around

Guayaquil

$33 2.7%

Montanita

$32 3.6% 5.2% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $656 in Guayaquil versus $336 in Montanita. 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 $53 in Guayaquil versus $28 in Montanita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $186 – making Montanita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Montanita

🕒 Local time

14:05 2:05 PM

Same time as Guayaquil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000

5,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Guayaquil vs Montanita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guayaquil is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Guayaquil and $1,339 in Montanita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montanita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $336 there versus $656 in Guayaquil.

Kindergarten costs $370 per month in Guayaquil and $256 in Montanita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Guayaquil, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Montanita, where all-in costs run around $893, than in Guayaquil at $1,235. In Montanita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guayaquil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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