Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merced, CA and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $2,528 in Merced, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Merced, CA
Learn more

Merced, CA Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

Jump to prices

Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,528

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,528 in Merced, CA versus $978 in Quito.

Merced, CA $2,528
Quito $978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,698 in Merced, CA versus $1,586 in Quito.

Merced, CA $3,698
Quito $1,586

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,868 in Merced, CA versus $2,194 in Quito.

Merced, CA $4,868
Quito $2,194

Living in Merced, CA is roughly 159% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Merced, CA is 87% above, Quito is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 $17.30

$6.08 $6.08

184.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.53 $39.53

$55.5 $55.5

-28.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$7.61 $7.61

59.40%

Cappuccino

$5.67 $5.67

$3.40 $3.40

66.76%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$1.37 $1.37

80.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.09 $1.09

34.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.15 $9.15

$3.43 $3.43

166.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.14 $10.14

$6.06 $6.06

67.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.14 $1.14

8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.60 $1.60

170.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$1.58 $1.58

164.56%

Eggs

$5.69 $5.69

$2.12 $2.12

168.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.30 $19.30

$6.58 $6.58

193.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$5.51 $5.51

158.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.62 $21.62

$7.65 $7.65

182.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.24 $2.24

98.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.19 $1.19

70.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$1.33 $1.33

306.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$1.13 $1.13

374.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.24 $1.24

181.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.02 $1.02

190.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.92 $0.92

165.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.05 $1.05

144.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 $11.89

$6.16 $6.16

93.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.78 $15.78

$10.07 $10.07

56.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.58 $1.58

53.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.09 $3.09

10.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.36 $0.36

313.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 $59.9

$21.37 $21.37

180.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.53 $1.53

99.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.49 $1.49

11.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.51 $26.51

$9.84 $9.84

169.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.81 $0.81

62.96%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$21.3K $21.3K

75.29%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

-7.64%

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

$237 $237

$28.75 $28.75

725.91%

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

$29.93 $29.93

$17.86 $17.86

67.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.7 $82.7

$28.20 $28.20

193.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.75 $32.75

$46.08 $46.08

-28.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 $14.11

$17.76 $17.76

-20.55%

Cinema Ticket

$16.87 $16.87

$6.34 $6.34

166.09%

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

$1,851 $1,851

$739 $739

150.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.5K $40.5K

$8,909 $8,909

354.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$71.0 $71.0

-15.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$50.4 $50.4

0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 $100.0

$114 $114

-12.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$107 $107

11.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 $1,638

$491 $491

233.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 $1,082

$309 $309

250.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 $2,012

$932 $932

115.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 $1,905

$540 $540

252.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 $2,890

$1,759 $1,759

64.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,896 $2,896

$715 $715

305.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 $3,329

$594 $594

460.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

10.12

-37.15%

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

Last update for Merced, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Merced, CA

$1.1K 42.8%

Quito

$309 31.6% 71.5% $773

Groceries & Markets

Merced, CA

$479 19%

Quito

$198 20.3% 58.7% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merced, CA

$350 13.9%

Quito

$75 7.7% 78.6% $275

Eating Out

Merced, CA

$325 12.8%

Quito

$151 15.5% 53.4% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Merced, CA

$149 5.9%

Quito

$154 15.8% 3.9% $5.7

Getting Around

Merced, CA

$77 3.1%

Quito

$32 3.3% 58.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Merced, CA

$66 2.6%

Quito

$59 6% 11.6% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,638 in Merced, CA and $491 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Merced, CA pays 461% 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: $40.00 in Merced, CA vs $55.0 in Quito. Groceries flip the comparison at $479 vs $198, with Quito cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

02:57 2:57 AM

04:57 4:57 AM

2 h ahead of Merced, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,316

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Merced, CA Quito 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Merced, CA
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

Merced, CA vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Merced, CA and Quito differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($2,528 vs $978 including rent). Quito is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 461% higher in Merced, CA, 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: $1,638 in Merced, CA versus $491 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,851 in Merced, CA versus $739 in Quito. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 142% higher in Merced, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $978 in Quito versus $2,528 in Merced, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Merced, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Merced, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.