Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Missoula, MT and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,609 in Missoula, MT, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
Learn more

Missoula, MT Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

Jump to prices

Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,609 in Missoula, MT versus $1,014 in Quito.

Missoula, MT $2,609
Quito $1,014

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,087 in Missoula, MT versus $1,641 in Quito.

Missoula, MT $4,087
Quito $1,641

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,565 in Missoula, MT versus $2,269 in Quito.

Missoula, MT $5,565
Quito $2,269

Living in Missoula, MT is roughly 157% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Missoula, MT is 93% above, Quito is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.73 $16.73

$5.55 $5.55

201.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$54.6 $54.6

37.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.27 $9.27

$7.63 $7.63

21.49%

Cappuccino

$4.37 $4.37

$3.33 $3.33

31.23%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$1.36 $1.36

127.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.14 $1.14

105.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.69 $3.69

58.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$6.16 $6.16

-3.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.15 $1.15

-2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.61 $1.61

113.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.51 $1.51

229.80%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$2.15 $2.15

98.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.81 $24.81

$6.47 $6.47

283.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 $9.67

$5.33 $5.33

81.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 $18.98

$7.77 $7.77

144.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$2.23 $2.23

115.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.24 $1.24

17.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$1.27 $1.27

412.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.08 $1.08

245.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.24 $1.24

87.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.06 $1.06

179.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$0.91 $0.91

164.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$0.98 $0.98

297.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.50 $10.50

$5.95 $5.95

76.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.82 $24.82

$8.35 $8.35

197.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.52 $1.52

30.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.20 $3.20

36.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$1.53 $1.53

235.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.99 $4.99

$1.53 $1.53

226.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.29 $39.29

$10.01 $10.01

292.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.85 $0.85

28.24%

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

$32.3K $32.3K

$22.7K $22.7K

42.29%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$29.6K $29.6K

-17.01%

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

$139 $139

$28.99 $28.99

378.85%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$17.94 $17.94

193.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$28.85 $28.85

139.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.22 $49.22

$45.09 $45.09

9.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 $22.25

$17.78 $17.78

25.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$6.75 $6.75

103.70%

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

$2,009 $2,009

$743 $743

170.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$8,223 $8,223

115.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$69.8 $69.8

-4.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 $44.46

$50.3 $50.3

-11.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$113 $113

-7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$107 $107

39.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$542 $542

181.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 $1,324

$354 $354

273.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,992 $2,992

$1,141 $1,141

162.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$638 $638

315.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 $4,211

$1,636 $1,636

157.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,475 $3,475

$663 $663

424.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,666 $3,666

$603 $603

507.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

10.12

-32.41%

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

Last update for Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7%

Quito

$354 34.9% 73.2% $969

Groceries & Markets

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3%

Quito

$193 19% 59.6% $285

Eating Out

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6%

Quito

$148 14.6% 46.5% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Missoula, MT

$261 10%

Quito

$76 7.5% 70.9% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3%

Quito

$153 15.1% 6.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9%

Quito

$59 5.8% 23.6% $18

Getting Around

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2%

Quito

$32 3.2% 6.2% $1.9

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 $1,522 in Missoula, MT and $542 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Missoula, MT pays about 6.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Missoula, MT vs $55 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $193 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

11:14 11:14 AM

2 h ahead of Missoula, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,489

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Missoula, MT Quito 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Missoula, MT
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

Missoula, MT vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito is about 61% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Missoula, MT is about 6.1 times higher, 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: $1,522 in Missoula, MT versus $542 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,009 in Missoula, MT versus $743 in Quito. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quito – a meal for two runs $55 versus $75 in Missoula, MT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,014 in Quito versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Missoula, MT. 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 Missoula, MT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Quito wins on affordability, Missoula, MT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.