Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $50,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $979 in Quito, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Quito $979

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $1,607 in Quito, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Quito $1,607

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $2,234 in Quito, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Quito $2,234

New York, NY costs about 425% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New York, NY sits 284% above the global median, while Quito is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$6.14 $6.14

330.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$53.9 $53.9

120.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$7.81 $7.81

84.76%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$3.42 $3.42

91.52%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$1.44 $1.44

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.14 $1.14

163.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$3.48 $3.48

137.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$5.89 $5.89

70.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.14 $1.14

14.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.54 $1.54

218.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$1.51 $1.51

374.17%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$2.16 $2.16

174.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$6.40 $6.40

197.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$5.48 $5.48

217.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$7.81 $7.81

142.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.33 $2.33

198.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.24 $1.24

67.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$1.31 $1.31

365.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.14 $1.14

509.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.21 $1.21

228.93%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.02 $1.02

335.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.93 $0.93

202.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.05 $1.05

139.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$6.02 $6.02

220.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$9.93 $9.93

98.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.59 $1.59

93.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.08 $3.08

19.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.37 $0.37

716.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$20.95 $20.95

565.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.54 $1.54

99.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.53 $1.53

39.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$10.01 $10.01

311.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.87 $0.87

27.59%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$21.0K $21.0K

66.76%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$28.6K $28.6K

-11.05%

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

$217 $217

$28.97 $28.97

650.74%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$17.57 $17.57

321.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$28.14 $28.14

157.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$46.48 $46.48

159.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$17.70 $17.70

277.91%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$6.38 $6.38

249.84%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$746 $746

358.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$9,015 $9,015

578.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$68.8 $68.8

10.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$50.4 $50.4

10.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$117 $117

1.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$109 $109

19.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$478 $478

842.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$313 $313

907.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$967 $967

811.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$549 $549

907.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$1,763 $1,763

999.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$720 $720

838.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$597 $597

786.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

10.12

-32.61%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Quito

$313 31.8% 90.1% $2.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Quito

$198 20.1% 63.8% $349

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Quito

$153 15.5% 63.8% $269

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Quito

$75 7.6% 79.5% $289

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Quito

$156 15.8% 9.4% $16

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Quito

$32 3.2% 80.9% $134

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Quito

$59 6% 64.1% $106

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY versus $478 in Quito. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 786% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in New York, NY versus $54.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Quito 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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

New York, NY vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 425% more than Quito, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,714 per month in New York, NY and $1,468 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.

Kindergarten costs $3,425 per month in New York, NY and $746 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 176% more in New York, NY, 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 $979, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quito costs $979 versus $5,142 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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