Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia, CA and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $984 a month against $2,704 in Monrovia, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia, CA
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Monrovia, CA Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,704 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $984 in Quito, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $2,704
Quito $984

A couple spends around $4,049 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $1,587 in Quito, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $4,049
Quito $1,587

A family of three spends $5,394 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $2,189 in Quito, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $5,394
Quito $2,189

Monrovia, CA costs about 175% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Monrovia, CA sits 100% above the global median, while Quito is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.92 $24.92

$6.07 $6.07

310.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$53.8 $53.8

88.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 $11.66

$7.45 $7.45

56.51%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$3.34 $3.34

67.96%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.39 $1.39

92.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.15 $1.15

71.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 $8.23

$3.45 $3.45

138.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 $9.63

$5.98 $5.98

61.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.10 $1.10

7.27%

White Bread (500g)

$5.85 $5.85

$1.53 $1.53

282.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.49 $1.49

183.89%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$2.09 $2.09

136.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$6.33 $6.33

95.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.92 $20.92

$5.58 $5.58

274.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$7.57 $7.57

85.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$2.23 $2.23

152.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.24 $1.24

37.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.28 $1.28

235.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$1.13 $1.13

461.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.18 $1.18

207.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.08 $1.08

224.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.93 $0.93

158.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.02 $1.02

122.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$5.91 $5.91

96.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.06 $10.06

46.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.52 $1.52

15.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.20 $3.20

-3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.37 $0.37

427.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.25 $21.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.48 $1.48

211.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.52 $1.52

19.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.58 $35.58

$10.08 $10.08

252.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.81 $0.81

97.53%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$22.8K $22.8K

21.57%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$30.6K $30.6K

-13.12%

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

$218 $218

$28.20 $28.20

673.40%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$17.65 $17.65

310.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$28.83 $28.83

147.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.11 $39.11

$46.91 $46.91

-16.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 $18.10

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$6.58 $6.58

79.18%

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

$1,948 $1,948

$744 $744

161.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K $42.6K

$9,068 $9,068

369.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 $73.1

$70.1 $70.1

4.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.92 $40.92

$49.81 $49.81

-17.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 $80.5

$115 $115

-29.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 $171

$110 $110

56.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 $1,577

$481 $481

228.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 $1,235

$317 $317

289.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$950 $950

162.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 $2,041

$546 $546

273.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,557 $2,557

$1,775 $1,775

44.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$722 $722

225.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

10.12

-34.39%

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

Last update for Monrovia, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monrovia, CA

$1.2K 45.7%

Quito

$317 32.2% 74.3% $918

Groceries & Markets

Monrovia, CA

$477 17.7%

Quito

$195 19.9% 59.1% $282

Eating Out

Monrovia, CA

$381 14.1%

Quito

$150 15.3% 60.5% $230

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monrovia, CA

$362 13.4%

Quito

$75 7.6% 79.4% $287

Clothing & Footwear

Monrovia, CA

$165 6.1%

Quito

$155 15.8% 5.8% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Monrovia, CA

$63 2.3%

Quito

$60 6.1% 4.2% $2.6

Getting Around

Monrovia, CA

$21 * 0.8%

Quito

$32 3.2% 48.1% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,577 in Monrovia, CA versus $481 in Quito. 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 $101 in Monrovia, CA versus $54.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $195 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monrovia, CA

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

2 h ahead of Monrovia, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,590

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Monrovia, CA Quito 5,610 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Monrovia, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,704 in Monrovia, CA, $984 in Quito – roughly 175% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,056 per month in Monrovia, CA and $1,477 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Monrovia, CA and $54.0 in Quito. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 144% more in Monrovia, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $984, than in Monrovia, CA at $2,704. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monrovia, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Quito has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $984 in Quito to $2,704 in Monrovia, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Quito. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Monrovia, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.