Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Loja and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $681 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

Jump to prices

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$681

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $681 per month in Loja vs $1,015 in Quito, rent included.

Loja $681
Quito $1,015

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Loja vs $1,636 in Quito, rent included.

Loja $1,074
Quito $1,636

A family of three spends $1,468 per month in Loja vs $2,258 in Quito, rent included.

Loja $1,468
Quito $2,258

Loja is about 33% cheaper than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Loja and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Loja 50% lower, Quito 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 $3.05

$5.41 $5.41

-43.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.66 $20.66

$55.2 $55.2

-62.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 $5.61

$7.66 $7.66

-26.76%

Cappuccino

$2.22 $2.22

$3.31 $3.31

-32.93%

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

$0.78 $0.78

$1.36 $1.36

-42.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 $0.43

$1.09 $1.09

-60.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.46 $3.46

-64.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 $3.23

$5.85 $5.85

-44.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.09 $1.09

-6.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.55 $1.55

-4.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.56 $1.56

-15.38%

Eggs

$1.92 $1.92

$2.16 $2.16

-11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$6.45 $6.45

-13.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$5.22 $5.22

-17.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$7.66 $7.66

-20.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.34 $2.34

-27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.20 $1.20

-9.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.27 $1.27

-5.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.19 $1.19

-10.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.02 $1.02

0.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.90 $0.90

-42.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.00 $1.00

11.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 $5.23

$6.14 $6.14

-14.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 $6.82

$8.62 $8.62

-20.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.58 $1.58

-3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.10 $3.10

-5.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.36 $0.36

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 $30.52

$21.34 $21.34

43.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.46 $1.46

-15.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.54 $1.54

-29.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.86 $9.86

$10.07 $10.07

-2.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.86 $0.86

-13.95%

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

$15.0K $15.0K

$23.3K $23.3K

-35.53%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$30.5K $30.5K

-6.48%

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

$19.98 $19.98

$28.33 $28.33

-29.47%

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

$11.49 $11.49

$18.08 $18.08

-36.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.07 $27.07

$28.84 $28.84

-6.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.70 $29.70

$42.86 $42.86

-30.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.03 $15.03

$17.92 $17.92

-16.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 $7.26

$6.75 $6.75

7.56%

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

$180 $180

$750 $750

-76.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,965 $1,965

$8,967 $8,967

-78.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$69.7 $69.7

-24.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.86 $47.86

$49.06 $49.06

-2.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$112 $112

-28.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 $73.1

$110 $110

-33.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 $240

$548 $548

-56.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 $172

$362 $362

-52.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 $377

$1,126 $1,126

-66.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 $315

$637 $637

-50.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$559 $559

$1,654 $1,654

-66.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$324 $324

$664 $664

-51.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$506 $506

$606 $606

-16.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

10.12

-16.01%

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

Last update for Loja: October 25, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Loja

$172 25.3%

Quito

$362 35.6% 110% $189

Groceries & Markets

Loja

$168 24.6%

Quito

$192 18.9% 14.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Loja

$114 16.8%

Quito

$153 15.1% 34.3% $39

Eating Out

Loja

$85 12.5%

Quito

$145 14.3% 69.8% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Loja

$59 8.6%

Quito

$75 7.4% 28.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Loja

$44 6.5%

Quito

$56 5.6% 27.4% $12

Getting Around

Loja

$38 5.7%

Quito

$32 3.2% 16.9% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Loja versus $548 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 20% higher in Quito, 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 $21 in Loja versus $55 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $168 vs $192 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Loja

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

22:55 10:55 PM

Same time as Loja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,617

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Loja Quito 430 km

From you

Loja
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

Loja vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $681 in Loja, $1,015 in Quito – Loja comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,021 per month in Loja and $1,522 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Loja, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $240 there versus $548 in Quito.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $180 per month in Loja and $750 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $681 in Loja and $1,015 in Quito, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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