Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guayaquil and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $1,136 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Guayaquil outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

55

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

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Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,136

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,136 per month in Guayaquil vs $978 in Quito, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,136
Quito $978

A couple spends around $1,775 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,586 in Quito, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,775
Quito $1,586

A family of three spends $2,413 per month in Guayaquil vs $2,194 in Quito, rent included.

Guayaquil $2,413
Quito $2,194

Guayaquil costs about 16% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Guayaquil and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Guayaquil 16% lower, Quito 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 $3.94

$6.08 $6.08

-35.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 $52.6

$55.5 $55.5

-5.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 $9.15

$7.61 $7.61

20.24%

Cappuccino

$2.82 $2.82

$3.40 $3.40

-17.06%

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

$0.91 $0.91

$1.37 $1.37

-33.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.09 $1.09

-32.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.43 $3.43

-11.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.06 $6.06

-31.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.14 $1.14

1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.60 $1.60

23.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.58 $1.58

-6.96%

Eggs

$2.07 $2.07

$2.12 $2.12

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$6.58 $6.58

6.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$5.51 $5.51

-5.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 $9.26

$7.65 $7.65

21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.24 $2.24

-33.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.19 $1.19

-4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.33 $1.33

-26.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.13 $1.13

-16.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.24 $1.24

-1.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.02 $1.02

-3.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.92 $0.92

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.05 $1.05

-10.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 $5.91

$6.16 $6.16

-4.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 $12.19

$10.07 $10.07

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.58 $1.58

-1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.09 $3.09

-29.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.61 $19.61

$21.37 $21.37

-8.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.53 $1.53

81.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.49 $1.49

20.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.16 $12.16

$9.84 $9.84

23.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.81 $0.81

8.64%

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

$21.1K $21.1K

$21.3K $21.3K

-0.56%

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

$31.3K $31.3K

$27.9K $27.9K

12.23%

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

$131 $131

$28.75 $28.75

354.96%

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

$14.76 $14.76

$17.86 $17.86

-17.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.25 $26.25

$28.20 $28.20

-6.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.30 $46.30

$46.08 $46.08

0.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 $26.54

$17.76 $17.76

49.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 $7.29

$6.34 $6.34

14.98%

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

$378 $378

$739 $739

-48.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,590 $5,590

$8,909 $8,909

-37.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$71.0 $71.0

-6.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.10 $41.10

$50.4 $50.4

-18.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 $124

$114 $114

8.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 $93.8

$107 $107

-12.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 $476

$491 $491

-2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 $401

$309 $309

29.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 $800

$932 $932

-14.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 $740

$540 $540

37.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,275 $2,275

$1,759 $1,759

29.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 $1,451

$715 $715

103.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 $612

$594 $594

3.07%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guayaquil

$401 35.3%

Quito

$309 31.6% 23% $92

Groceries & Markets

Guayaquil

$200 17.6%

Quito

$198 20.3% 1.1% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guayaquil

$172 15.1%

Quito

$75 7.7% 56.5% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Guayaquil

$146 12.9%

Quito

$154 15.8% 5.5% $8.1

Eating Out

Guayaquil

$123 10.8%

Quito

$151 15.5% 23.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Guayaquil

$61 5.4%

Quito

$59 6% 3.5% $2.1

Getting Around

Guayaquil

$33 2.9%

Quito

$32 3.3% 3.2% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Guayaquil versus $491 in Quito. 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 3% higher in Guayaquil, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Guayaquil versus $55.0 in Quito. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Guayaquil vs $198 in Quito – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

12:35 12:35 PM

Same time as Guayaquil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guayaquil is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,704 per month in Guayaquil and $1,467 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $378 per month in Guayaquil and $739 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Guayaquil at $1,136. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guayaquil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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