Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montanita and Guayaquil

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $893 a month against $1,235 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
Learn more

Guayaquil Living Index

Jump to prices

Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$893

/mo nomad

Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montanita and in Guayaquil

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montanita and in Guayaquil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $893 per month in Montanita vs $1,235 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Montanita $893
Guayaquil $1,235

A couple spends around $1,344 per month in Montanita vs $1,918 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Montanita $1,344
Guayaquil $1,918

A family of three spends $1,796 per month in Montanita vs $2,600 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Montanita $1,796
Guayaquil $2,600

Montanita is about 28% cheaper than Guayaquil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Montanita and Guayaquil are more affordable than the global median – Montanita 34% lower, Guayaquil 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 $3.44

$3.91 $3.91

-12.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.67 $27.67

$53.3 $53.3

-48.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 $7.30

$8.76 $8.76

-16.67%

Cappuccino

$2.40 $2.40

$2.82 $2.82

-14.89%

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

$0.85 $0.85

$0.94 $0.94

-9.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.68 $0.68

-7.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.03 $3.03

-35.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$4.35 $4.35

-17.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.22 $1.22

-7.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.93 $1.93

-11.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.45 $1.45

3.45%

Eggs

$2.10 $2.10

$2.06 $2.06

1.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$7.02 $7.02

-23.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$5.23 $5.23

4.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$9.29 $9.29

-31.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.48 $1.48

41.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.15 $1.15

6.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.98 $0.98

11.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.90 $0.90

21.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.23 $1.23

16.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.93 $0.93

9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.81 $0.81

-39.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.97 $0.97

5.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 $6.10

$5.90 $5.90

3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.82 $9.82

$12.15 $12.15

-19.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.56 $1.56

-2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.15 $2.15

18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.34 $0.34

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.56 $23.56

$20.71 $20.71

13.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.72 $2.72

-43.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.72 $1.72

-40.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 $10.03

$12.07 $12.07

-16.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.84 $0.84

-26.19%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$23.1K $23.1K

7.55%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$30.8K $30.8K

-8.31%

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

$40.55 $40.55

$128 $128

-68.40%

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

$13.96 $13.96

$14.99 $14.99

-6.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.87 $30.87

$25.69 $25.69

20.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 $29.86

$44.63 $44.63

-33.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.43 $14.43

$26.98 $26.98

-46.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 $7.33

$7.55 $7.55

-2.91%

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

$256 $256

$370 $370

-30.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,690 $5,690

$5,607 $5,607

1.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 $55.5

$64.1 $64.1

-13.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.86 $42.86

$40.54 $40.54

5.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$126 $126

-20.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 $74.8

$93.4 $93.4

-19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 $336

$656 $656

-48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 $321

$505 $505

-36.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 $622

$1,001 $1,001

-37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 $503

$929 $929

-45.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,245 $1,245

$2,039 $2,039

-38.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,013 $1,013

$1,205 $1,205

-15.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 $622

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

-0.50%

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

Last update for Montanita: October 25, 2026

Last update for Guayaquil: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montanita

$321 35.9%

Guayaquil

$505 40.9% 57.3% $184

Groceries & Markets

Montanita

$186 20.8%

Guayaquil

$200 16.2% 7.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Montanita

$123 13.8%

Guayaquil

$146 11.8% 18.5% $23

Eating Out

Montanita

$101 11.3%

Guayaquil

$122 9.9% 20.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montanita

$85 9.6%

Guayaquil

$169 13.7% 97.9% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Montanita

$45 5%

Guayaquil

$60 4.8% 34.1% $15

Getting Around

Montanita

$32 3.6%

Guayaquil

$33 2.7% 5.5% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $336 in Montanita versus $656 in Guayaquil. 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 $28 in Montanita versus $53 in Guayaquil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $200 – making Montanita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Montanita

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🕒 Local time

13:07 1:07 PM

Same time as Montanita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

3,500,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Montanita Guayaquil 89 km

From you

Montanita
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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

Montanita vs Guayaquil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guayaquil is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,339 per month in Montanita and $1,852 in Guayaquil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montanita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $336 there versus $656 in Guayaquil.

Kindergarten costs $256 per month in Montanita and $370 in Guayaquil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Guayaquil, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Montanita, where all-in costs run around $893, than in Guayaquil at $1,235. In Montanita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guayaquil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montanita – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.