Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guayaquil and Puerto Ayora

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Ayora: $818 a month against $1,281 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Ayora
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Puerto Ayora Living Index

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Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,281

/mo nomad

Puerto Ayora

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guayaquil and in Puerto Ayora

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

A single person spends $1,281 per month in Guayaquil vs $818 in Puerto Ayora, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,281
Puerto Ayora $818

A couple spends around $1,944 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,329 in Puerto Ayora, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,944
Puerto Ayora $1,329

A family of three spends $2,607 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,839 in Puerto Ayora, rent included.

Guayaquil $2,607
Puerto Ayora $1,839

Guayaquil costs about 57% more than Puerto Ayora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Guayaquil and Puerto Ayora are more affordable than the global median – Guayaquil 5% lower, Puerto Ayora 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.10 $4.10

$3.67 $3.67

11.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 $50.2

$41.60 $41.60

20.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 $8.92

$6.47 $6.47

37.87%

Cappuccino

$2.72 $2.72

$2.75 $2.75

-1.09%

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

$0.84 $0.84

$0.89 $0.89

-5.62%

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

$2.43 $2.43

24.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 $4.35

$3.95 $3.95

10.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.09 $1.09

7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.75 $1.75

14.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.54 $1.54

-5.84%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$2.08 $2.08

-0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$6.39 $6.39

6.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$5.19 $5.19

-1.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 $9.45

$7.30 $7.30

29.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.81 $1.81

-15.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.14 $1.14

3.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.27 $1.27

-22.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.09 $1.09

-12.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.23 $1.23

4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.03 $1.03

-11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.75 $0.75

10.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.02 $1.02

-7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$5.28 $5.28

11.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.21 $12.21

$8.05 $8.05

51.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.47 $1.47

4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.94 $2.94

-25.17%

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

$1.47 $1.47

91.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.32 $1.32

15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.06 $12.06

$9.87 $9.87

22.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.82 $0.82

-2.44%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$22.9K $22.9K

-1.00%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$29.9K $29.9K

2.76%

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

$130 $130

$34.59 $34.59

277.10%

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

$14.70 $14.70

$13.30 $13.30

10.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.68 $25.68

$26.27 $26.27

-2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.56 $44.56

$30.25 $30.25

47.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.30 $27.30

$16.39 $16.39

66.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 $7.52

$6.83 $6.83

10.10%

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

$368 $368

$300 $300

22.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,002 $9,002

$5,729 $5,729

57.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 $65.8

$61.2 $61.2

7.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.98 $39.98

$44.90 $44.90

-10.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$108 $108

15.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 $93.4

$72.7 $72.7

28.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 $653

$422 $422

54.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 $545

$267 $267

104.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 $976

$815 $815

19.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 $940

$501 $501

87.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,009 $2,009

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 $1,201

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 $613

$807 $807

-24.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

10.09

-0.40%

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

Last update for Guayaquil: November 1, 2026

Last update for Puerto Ayora: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guayaquil

$545 42.5%

Puerto Ayora

$267 32.6% 51% $278

Groceries & Markets

Guayaquil

$200 15.6%

Puerto Ayora

$187 22.8% 6.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guayaquil

$171 13.3%

Puerto Ayora

$74 9.1% 56.6% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Guayaquil

$146 11.4%

Puerto Ayora

$129 15.8% 11.5% $17

Eating Out

Guayaquil

$122 9.5%

Puerto Ayora

$108 13.2% 11.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Guayaquil

$60 4.7%

Puerto Ayora

$44 5.4% 26.3% $16

Getting Around

Guayaquil

$38 3%

Puerto Ayora

$9.5 * 1.2% 75.1% $29

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 $422 in Puerto Ayora. 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 32% higher in Puerto Ayora, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guayaquil versus $42 in Puerto Ayora. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $187 – making Puerto Ayora the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

20:55 8:55 PM

1 h behind Guayaquil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000

12,696

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Guayaquil Puerto Ayora 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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 Puerto Ayora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guayaquil is pricier by about 57%, 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 $1,228 in Puerto Ayora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Ayora, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $422 there versus $653 in Guayaquil.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guayaquil and $42 in Puerto Ayora. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Guayaquil, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Ayora, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Guayaquil at $1,281. In Puerto Ayora it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guayaquil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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