Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montanita and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $893 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

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Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$893

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $893 in Montanita versus $1,015 in Quito.

Montanita $893
Quito $1,015

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,344 in Montanita versus $1,636 in Quito.

Montanita $1,344
Quito $1,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,796 in Montanita versus $2,258 in Quito.

Montanita $1,796
Quito $2,258

Living in Montanita costs roughly 12% less than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Montanita 34% lower, Quito 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 $3.44

$5.41 $5.41

-36.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.67 $27.67

$55.2 $55.2

-49.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 $7.30

$7.66 $7.66

-4.70%

Cappuccino

$2.40 $2.40

$3.31 $3.31

-27.49%

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

$0.85 $0.85

$1.36 $1.36

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 $0.63

$1.09 $1.09

-42.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.46 $3.46

-43.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$5.85 $5.85

-38.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.09 $1.09

3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.55 $1.55

10.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.56 $1.56

-3.85%

Eggs

$2.10 $2.10

$2.16 $2.16

-2.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$6.45 $6.45

-16.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$5.22 $5.22

4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$7.66 $7.66

-16.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.34 $2.34

-10.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.20 $1.20

1.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.27 $1.27

-14.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.19 $1.19

20.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.90 $0.90

-45.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.00 $1.00

2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 $6.10

$6.14 $6.14

-0.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.82 $9.82

$8.62 $8.62

13.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.58 $1.58

-3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.10 $3.10

-17.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.56 $23.56

$21.34 $21.34

10.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.46 $1.46

4.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.54 $1.54

-33.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 $10.03

$10.07 $10.07

-0.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.86 $0.86

-27.91%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$23.3K $23.3K

6.58%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$30.5K $30.5K

-7.31%

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

$40.55 $40.55

$28.33 $28.33

43.13%

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

$13.96 $13.96

$18.08 $18.08

-22.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.87 $30.87

$28.84 $28.84

7.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 $29.86

$42.86 $42.86

-30.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.43 $14.43

$17.92 $17.92

-19.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 $7.33

$6.75 $6.75

8.59%

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

$256 $256

$750 $750

-65.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,690 $5,690

$8,967 $8,967

-36.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 $55.5

$69.7 $69.7

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.86 $42.86

$49.06 $49.06

-12.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$112 $112

-10.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 $74.8

$110 $110

-31.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 $336

$548 $548

-38.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 $321

$362 $362

-11.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 $622

$1,126 $1,126

-44.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 $503

$637 $637

-21.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,245 $1,245

$1,654 $1,654

-24.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,013 $1,013

$664 $664

52.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 $606

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

-1.19%

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

Last update for Montanita: 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

Montanita

$321 35.9%

Quito

$362 35.6% 12.7% $41

Groceries & Markets

Montanita

$186 20.8%

Quito

$192 18.9% 3.1% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Montanita

$123 13.8%

Quito

$153 15.1% 24.4% $30

Eating Out

Montanita

$101 11.3%

Quito

$145 14.3% 43.2% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montanita

$85 9.6%

Quito

$75 7.4% 11.9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Montanita

$45 5%

Quito

$56 5.6% 26.6% $12

Getting Around

Montanita

$32 3.6%

Quito

$32 3.2% 0.9% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $336 in Montanita and $548 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28 in Montanita vs $55 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $192 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Montanita

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

10:31 10:31 AM

Same time as Montanita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montanita Quito 310 km

From you

Montanita
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

Montanita vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montanita is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,339 in Montanita and $1,522 in Quito to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $336 in Montanita versus $548 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $256 in Montanita versus $750 in Quito. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Quito. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Montanita versus $1,015 in Quito, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Montanita but tight or insufficient in Quito. The gap between the two cities makes Montanita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montanita is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Quito, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.