Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Paz and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,289 in La Paz, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in La Paz
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La Paz Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

Jump to prices

La Paz

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,289

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in La Paz versus $979 in Quito.

La Paz $1,289
Quito $979

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,107 in La Paz versus $1,607 in Quito.

La Paz $2,107
Quito $1,607

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,926 in La Paz versus $2,234 in Quito.

La Paz $2,926
Quito $2,234

Living in La Paz is roughly 32% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: La Paz 4% lower, Quito 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.11 MX$186

$6.14 $6.14

64.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.2 MX$1,032

$53.9 $53.9

4.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 MX$150

$7.81 $7.81

4.74%

Cappuccino

$3.19 MX$58.7

$3.42 $3.42

-6.73%

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

$1.77 MX$32.54

$1.44 $1.44

22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$18.43

$1.14 $1.14

-12.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 MX$39.53

$3.48 $3.48

-38.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 MX$105

$5.89 $5.89

-3.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 MX$39.72

$1.14 $1.14

89.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 MX$47.57

$1.54 $1.54

68.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 MX$41.26

$1.51 $1.51

49.01%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.45

$2.16 $2.16

14.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 MX$220

$6.40 $6.40

87.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$157

$5.48 $5.48

55.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 MX$206

$7.81 $7.81

43.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 MX$62.9

$2.33 $2.33

47.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 MX$23.52

$1.24 $1.24

3.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.79

$1.31 $1.31

48.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$33.68

$1.14 $1.14

60.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.33

$1.21 $1.21

67.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 MX$39.04

$1.02 $1.02

108.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.26

$0.93 $0.93

59.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$25.31

$1.05 $1.05

31.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.4

$6.02 $6.02

-27.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.12 MX$314

$9.93 $9.93

72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.01

$1.59 $1.59

-17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$52.9

$3.08 $3.08

-6.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$12.51

$0.37 $0.37

83.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 MX$47.99

$1.54 $1.54

69.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 MX$37.51

$1.53 $1.53

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.99 MX$220

$10.01 $10.01

19.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.08

$0.87 $0.87

70.11%

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

$21.1K MX$387.2K

$21.0K $21.0K

0.50%

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

$24.6K MX$451.4K

$28.6K $28.6K

-13.89%

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

$62.8 MX$1,153

$28.97 $28.97

116.67%

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

$25.84 MX$475

$17.57 $17.57

47.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.75 MX$601

$28.14 $28.14

16.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.76 MX$638

$46.48 $46.48

-25.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.51 MX$377

$17.70 $17.70

15.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.1

$6.38 $6.38

-18.03%

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

$225 MX$4,140

$746 $746

-69.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,619 MX$84.8K

$9,015 $9,015

-48.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 MX$1,073

$68.8 $68.8

-15.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.73 MX$748

$50.4 $50.4

-19.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 MX$1,369

$117 $117

-36.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 MX$1,652

$109 $109

-17.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 MX$14.9K

$478 $478

70.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 MX$9,029

$313 $313

57.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 MX$31.7K

$967 $967

78.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 MX$19.3K

$549 $549

91.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,914 MX$35.1K

$1,763 $1,763

8.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,163 MX$21.4K

$720 $720

61.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$770 MX$14.1K

$597 $597

28.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

10.12

14.62%

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

Last update for La Paz: October 4, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Paz

$492 38.7%

Quito

$313 31.8% 36.3% $179

Groceries & Markets

La Paz

$300 23.6%

Quito

$198 20.1% 34.1% $102

Eating Out

La Paz

$177 14%

Quito

$153 15.5% 13.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Paz

$121 9.6%

Quito

$75 7.6% 38.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

La Paz

$119 9.4%

Quito

$156 15.8% 31.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

La Paz

$45 3.6%

Quito

$59 6% 31% $14

Getting Around

La Paz

$16 * 1.2%

Quito

$32 3.2% 103% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $814 in La Paz and $478 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Paz pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $56.0 in La Paz vs $54.0 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $198 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 La Paz

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

2 h ahead of La Paz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,141

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

La Paz Quito 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

La Paz
Quito

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

La Paz vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% higher in La Paz, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $814 in La Paz versus $478 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in La Paz. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in La Paz versus $979 in Quito – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $979 in Quito versus $1,289 in La Paz, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in La Paz. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quito is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in La Paz, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, La Paz and Quito are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in La Paz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.