Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nogales and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,138 in Nogales, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Nogales
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Nogales Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Nogales

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,138

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Nogales versus $979 in Quito.

Nogales $1,138
Quito $979

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,854 in Nogales versus $1,607 in Quito.

Nogales $1,854
Quito $1,607

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,570 in Nogales versus $2,234 in Quito.

Nogales $2,570
Quito $2,234

Living in Nogales is roughly 16% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nogales 15% lower, Quito 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 MX$201

$6.14 $6.14

78.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.05 MX$827

$53.9 $53.9

-16.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.37 MX$154

$7.81 $7.81

7.17%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$66.4

$3.42 $3.42

5.85%

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

$1.35 MX$24.79

$1.44 $1.44

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$19.01

$1.14 $1.14

-8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$47.30

$3.48 $3.48

-25.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 MX$75.3

$5.89 $5.89

-30.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$29.09

$1.14 $1.14

38.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$48.22

$1.54 $1.54

70.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.85

$1.51 $1.51

14.57%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$46.77

$2.16 $2.16

18.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$156

$6.40 $6.40

32.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 MX$156

$5.48 $5.48

55.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.84 MX$217

$7.81 $7.81

51.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.0

$2.33 $2.33

17.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.16

$1.24 $1.24

28.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$35.16

$1.31 $1.31

45.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$34.05

$1.14 $1.14

62.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.01

$1.21 $1.21

61.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.19

$1.02 $1.02

88.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$26.54

$0.93 $0.93

55.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$20.31

$1.05 $1.05

5.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MX$79.5

$6.02 $6.02

-28.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 MX$195

$9.93 $9.93

7.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 MX$33.71

$1.59 $1.59

15.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 MX$59.8

$3.08 $3.08

5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.66

$0.37 $0.37

86.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 MX$47.44

$1.54 $1.54

67.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 MX$37.79

$1.53 $1.53

34.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.28 MX$207

$10.01 $10.01

12.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.14

$0.87 $0.87

70.11%

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

$21.2K MX$389.4K

$21.0K $21.0K

1.07%

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

$24.9K MX$456.6K

$28.6K $28.6K

-12.90%

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

$62.4 MX$1,146

$28.97 $28.97

115.53%

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

$22.44 MX$412

$17.57 $17.57

27.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.41 MX$558

$28.14 $28.14

8.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.79 MX$639

$46.48 $46.48

-25.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.65 MX$379

$17.70 $17.70

16.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 MX$95.8

$6.38 $6.38

-18.18%

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

$224 MX$4,105

$746 $746

-70.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,654 MX$85.5K

$9,015 $9,015

-48.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 MX$1,012

$68.8 $68.8

-19.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$778

$50.4 $50.4

-15.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,891

$117 $117

-12.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 MX$1,697

$109 $109

-15.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 MX$11.3K

$478 $478

28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$7,341

$313 $313

27.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 MX$19.7K

$967 $967

10.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$786 MX$14.4K

$549 $549

43.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,927 MX$35.4K

$1,763 $1,763

9.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,151 MX$21.1K

$720 $720

59.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.12

11.66%

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

Last update for Nogales: 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

Nogales

$400 34.4%

Quito

$313 31.8% 21.7% $87

Groceries & Markets

Nogales

$269 23.1%

Quito

$198 20.1% 26.5% $71

Eating Out

Nogales

$187 16.1%

Quito

$153 15.5% 18.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Nogales

$132 11.3%

Quito

$156 15.8% 18% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nogales

$115 9.9%

Quito

$75 7.6% 35.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nogales

$45 3.9%

Quito

$59 6% 31% $14

Getting Around

Nogales

$16 * 1.3%

Quito

$32 3.2% 102% $16

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 $614 in Nogales and $478 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Nogales vs $54.0 in Quito. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $198, with Quito cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Nogales

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

22:43 10:43 PM

2 h ahead of Nogales

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

261,137

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nogales Quito 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nogales
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

Nogales vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nogales and Quito differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,138 vs $979 including rent). Quito is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,707 in Nogales and $1,468 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: $614 in Nogales versus $478 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Nogales versus $746 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 $54.0 versus $45.00 in Nogales. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $979 in Quito versus $1,138 in Nogales, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Nogales. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Nogales. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.