Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guayaquil and Portoviejo

For one person, living is cheaper in Portoviejo: $879 a month against $1,281 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Portoviejo
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Portoviejo Living Index

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Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,281

/mo nomad

Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$879

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guayaquil and in Portoviejo

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

A single person spends $1,281 per month in Guayaquil vs $879 in Portoviejo, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,281
Portoviejo $879

A couple spends around $1,944 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,436 in Portoviejo, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,944
Portoviejo $1,436

A family of three spends $2,607 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,992 in Portoviejo, rent included.

Guayaquil $2,607
Portoviejo $1,992

Guayaquil costs about 46% more than Portoviejo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Guayaquil and Portoviejo are more affordable than the global median – Guayaquil 5% lower, Portoviejo 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.10 $4.10

$4.06 $4.06

0.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 $50.2

$52.0 $52.0

-3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 $8.92

$9.17 $9.17

-2.73%

Cappuccino

$2.72 $2.72

$2.79 $2.79

-2.51%

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

$0.84 $0.84

$0.86 $0.86

-2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 $0.64

$0.70 $0.70

-8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.06 $3.06

-1.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.31 $4.31

0.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.20 $1.20

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.98 $1.98

1.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.42 $1.42

2.11%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$2.04 $2.04

0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$7.06 $7.06

-3.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$5.14 $5.14

-0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 $9.45

$8.93 $8.93

5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.47 $1.47

4.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.15 $1.15

2.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.99 $0.99

-1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.97 $0.97

-2.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.22 $1.22

4.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.97 $0.97

-6.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.88 $0.88

-5.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.96 $0.96

-2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$6.09 $6.09

-3.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.21 $12.21

$12.22 $12.22

-0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.51 $1.51

1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.19 $2.19

0.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.28 $26.28

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.77 $2.77

1.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.73 $1.73

-11.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.06 $12.06

$12.22 $12.22

-1.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.88 $0.88

-9.09%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

0.12%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$31.0K $31.0K

-0.72%

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

$130 $130

$34.52 $34.52

277.87%

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

$14.70 $14.70

$15.13 $15.13

-2.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.68 $25.68

$26.35 $26.35

-2.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.56 $44.56

$29.67 $29.67

50.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.30 $27.30

$16.47 $16.47

65.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 $7.52

$7.44 $7.44

1.08%

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

$368 $368

$369 $369

-0.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,002 $9,002

$5,664 $5,664

58.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 $65.8

$64.5 $64.5

1.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.98 $39.98

$41.20 $41.20

-2.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

-0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 $93.4

$92.1 $92.1

1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 $653

$423 $423

54.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 $545

$277 $277

96.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 $976

$811 $811

20.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 $940

$502 $502

87.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,009 $2,009

$982 $982

104.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 $1,201

$787 $787

52.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 $613

$327 $327

87.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

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

Last update for Guayaquil: November 1, 2026

Last update for Portoviejo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guayaquil

$545 42.5%

Portoviejo

$277 31.5% 49.2% $268

Groceries & Markets

Guayaquil

$200 15.6%

Portoviejo

$199 22.7% 0.3% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guayaquil

$171 13.3%

Portoviejo

$76 8.7% 55.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Guayaquil

$146 11.4%

Portoviejo

$145 16.5% 0.2% $0.3

Eating Out

Guayaquil

$122 9.5%

Portoviejo

$124 14.1% 1.4% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Guayaquil

$60 4.7%

Portoviejo

$45 5.1% 25.3% $15

Getting Around

Guayaquil

$38 3%

Portoviejo

$13 * 1.5% 66.4% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $653 in Guayaquil versus $423 in Portoviejo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 87% higher in Guayaquil. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guayaquil versus $52 in Portoviejo. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Guayaquil vs $199 in Portoviejo – so Portoviejo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Portoviejo

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

Same time as Guayaquil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000

180,641

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 Portoviejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guayaquil is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,922 per month in Guayaquil and $1,318 in Portoviejo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portoviejo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $423 there versus $653 in Guayaquil.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guayaquil and $52 in Portoviejo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $368 per month in Guayaquil and $369 in Portoviejo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,281 in Guayaquil and $879 in Portoviejo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Guayaquil has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $879 in Portoviejo to $1,281 in Guayaquil. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Portoviejo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Guayaquil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.