Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guayaquil and Riobamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Riobamba: $557 a month against $1,281 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
Learn more

Guayaquil Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Riobamba
Learn more

Riobamba Living Index

Jump to prices

Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,281

/mo nomad

Riobamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guayaquil and in Riobamba

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

A single person spends $1,281 per month in Guayaquil vs $557 in Riobamba, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,281
Riobamba $557

A couple spends around $1,944 per month in Guayaquil vs $889 in Riobamba, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,944
Riobamba $889

A family of three spends $2,607 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,220 in Riobamba, rent included.

Guayaquil $2,607
Riobamba $1,220

Guayaquil costs about 130% more than Riobamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Guayaquil and Riobamba are more affordable than the global median – Guayaquil 5% lower, Riobamba 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.10 $4.10

$3.47 $3.47

18.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 $50.2

$16.17 $16.17

210.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 $8.92

$6.27 $6.27

42.26%

Cappuccino

$2.72 $2.72

$2.36 $2.36

15.25%

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

$0.84 $0.84

$0.77 $0.77

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 $0.64

$0.71 $0.71

-9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.98 $1.98

52.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.92 $2.92

48.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.98 $0.98

19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.18 $2.18

-7.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.86 $0.86

68.60%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$1.70 $1.70

21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$1.98 $1.98

242.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.12 $3.12

63.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 $9.45

$4.77 $4.77

98.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.77 $1.77

-13.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$0.49 $0.49

140.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.41 $1.41

-30.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.99 $0.99

-4.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.77 $0.77

66.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.86 $0.86

5.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.47 $0.47

76.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.98 $0.98

-4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$5.12 $5.12

14.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.21 $12.21

$5.45 $5.45

124.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.53 $1.53

0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.92 $2.92

-24.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.29 $0.29

24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.28 $26.28

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.27 $1.27

122.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.08 $1.08

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.06 $12.06

$11.08 $11.08

8.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.83 $0.83

-3.61%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$23.3K $23.3K

-2.54%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$30.4K $30.4K

1.14%

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

$130 $130

$19.63 $19.63

564.49%

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

$14.70 $14.70

$6.88 $6.88

113.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.68 $25.68

$27.13 $27.13

-5.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.56 $44.56

$25.35 $25.35

75.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.30 $27.30

$16.55 $16.55

64.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 $7.52

$6.01 $6.01

25.12%

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

$368 $368

$79.6 $79.6

362.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,002 $9,002

$1,459 $1,459

517.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 $65.8

$50.6 $50.6

30.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.98 $39.98

$48.00 $48.00

-16.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$104 $104

20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 $93.4

$72.0 $72.0

29.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 $653

$117 $117

460.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 $545

$95.9 $95.9

468.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 $976

$222 $222

339.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 $940

$192 $192

389.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,009 $2,009

$497 $497

304.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 $1,201

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 $613

$340 $340

80.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

11.16

-9.95%

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

Last update for Guayaquil: November 1, 2026

Last update for Riobamba: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guayaquil

$545 42.5%

Riobamba

$96 17.2% 82.4% $449

Groceries & Markets

Guayaquil

$200 15.6%

Riobamba

$142 25.5% 29.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guayaquil

$171 13.3%

Riobamba

$54 9.6% 68.6% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Guayaquil

$146 11.4%

Riobamba

$123 22.2% 15.3% $22

Eating Out

Guayaquil

$122 9.5%

Riobamba

$97 17.3% 20.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Guayaquil

$60 4.7%

Riobamba

$37 6.7% 37.3% $22

Getting Around

Guayaquil

$38 3%

Riobamba

$7.9 * 1.4% 79.5% $30

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 $117 in Riobamba. 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 80% 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 $50 in Guayaquil versus $16 in Riobamba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $142 – making Riobamba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Riobamba

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

Same time as Guayaquil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000

170,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Guayaquil Riobamba 180 km

From you

Guayaquil
Riobamba

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 Riobamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guayaquil is pricier by about 130%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,922 per month in Guayaquil and $835 in Riobamba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Riobamba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $117 there versus $653 in Guayaquil.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guayaquil and $16 in Riobamba. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Guayaquil, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Riobamba, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Guayaquil at $1,281. In Riobamba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guayaquil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Riobamba – 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 Riobamba. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Guayaquil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.