Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guayaquil and Tulcán

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulcán: $920 a month against $1,235 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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 Tulcán
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Tulcán Living Index

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Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,235

/mo nomad

Tulcán

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$920

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guayaquil and in Tulcán

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Guayaquil vs $920 in Tulcán, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,235
Tulcán $920

A couple spends around $1,918 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,503 in Tulcán, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,918
Tulcán $1,503

A family of three spends $2,600 per month in Guayaquil vs $2,086 in Tulcán, rent included.

Guayaquil $2,600
Tulcán $2,086

Guayaquil costs about 34% more than Tulcán, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Guayaquil and Tulcán are more affordable than the global median – Guayaquil 9% lower, Tulcán 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.91 $3.91

$5.41 $5.41

-27.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 $53.3

$54.1 $54.1

-1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 $8.76

$7.44 $7.44

17.74%

Cappuccino

$2.82 $2.82

$3.29 $3.29

-14.29%

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

$0.94 $0.94

$1.44 $1.44

-34.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.04 $1.04

-34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.40 $3.40

-10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 $4.35

$6.14 $6.14

-29.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.10 $1.10

10.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.56 $1.56

23.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.51 $1.51

-3.97%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$2.07 $2.07

-0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$6.24 $6.24

12.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$5.19 $5.19

0.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 $9.29

$7.61 $7.61

22.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.26 $2.26

-34.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.23 $1.23

-6.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.26 $1.26

-22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.10 $1.10

-18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.24 $1.24

-0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.02 $1.02

-8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.87 $0.87

-6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.99 $0.99

-2.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 $5.90

$6.09 $6.09

-3.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$8.41 $8.41

44.47%

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

$3.18 $3.18

-32.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.39 $0.39

-12.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 $20.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.54 $1.54

76.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.54 $1.54

11.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.05 $10.05

20.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.87 $0.87

-3.45%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

-0.08%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$29.5K $29.5K

4.58%

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

$128 $128

$28.27 $28.27

353.91%

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

$14.99 $14.99

$17.94 $17.94

-16.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.69 $25.69

$28.72 $28.72

-10.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.63 $44.63

$31.61 $31.61

41.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 $26.98

$14.41 $14.41

87.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 $7.55

$6.56 $6.56

15.09%

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

$370 $370

$750 $750

-50.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,607 $5,607

$8,960 $8,960

-37.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 $64.1

$70.7 $70.7

-9.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 $40.54

$49.23 $49.23

-17.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$114 $114

11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 $93.4

$107 $107

-12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 $656

$483 $483

35.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 $505

$302 $302

66.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 $1,001

$786 $786

27.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 $929

$545 $545

70.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,039 $2,039

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 $1,205

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 $622

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 27, 2026

Last update for Tulcán: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guayaquil

$505 40.9%

Tulcán

$302 32.9% 40.1% $202

Groceries & Markets

Guayaquil

$200 16.2%

Tulcán

$189 20.6% 5.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guayaquil

$169 13.7%

Tulcán

$75 8.2% 55.7% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Guayaquil

$146 11.8%

Tulcán

$153 16.7% 5% $7.3

Eating Out

Guayaquil

$122 9.9%

Tulcán

$144 15.7% 18.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Guayaquil

$60 4.8%

Tulcán

$45 4.9% 25.1% $15

Getting Around

Guayaquil

$33 2.7%

Tulcán

$11 * 1.2% 67.7% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $656 in Guayaquil versus $483 in Tulcán. 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 $54 in Tulcán. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Guayaquil vs $189 in Tulcán – so Tulcán wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Tulcán

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

Same time as Guayaquil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000

82,734

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

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

Yes – Guayaquil is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Guayaquil and $1,380 in Tulcán. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tulcán, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $483 there versus $656 in Guayaquil.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Guayaquil, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $370 per month in Guayaquil and $750 in Tulcán. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Tulcán, where all-in costs run around $920, than in Guayaquil at $1,235. In Tulcán it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guayaquil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Guayaquil has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $920 in Tulcán to $1,235 in Guayaquil. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.