Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Orem, UT and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,487 in Orem, UT, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Orem, UT
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Orem, UT Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Orem, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,487

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,487 in Orem, UT versus $1,014 in Quito.

Orem, UT $2,487
Quito $1,014

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,371 in Orem, UT versus $1,641 in Quito.

Orem, UT $3,371
Quito $1,641

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,254 in Orem, UT versus $2,269 in Quito.

Orem, UT $4,254
Quito $2,269

Living in Orem, UT is roughly 145% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Orem, UT is 84% above, Quito is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.87 $14.87

$5.55 $5.55

167.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.7 $59.7

$54.6 $54.6

9.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 $11.05

$7.63 $7.63

44.82%

Cappuccino

$4.44 $4.44

$3.33 $3.33

33.33%

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

$1.78 $1.78

$1.36 $1.36

30.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.14 $1.14

29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.69 $3.69

65.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$6.16 $6.16

15.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.15 $1.15

-11.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.61 $1.61

94.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.51 $1.51

61.59%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$2.15 $2.15

38.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$6.47 $6.47

117.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$5.33 $5.33

145.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.44 $19.44

$7.77 $7.77

150.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.23 $2.23

24.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.24 $1.24

33.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.27 $1.27

95.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.08 $1.08

313.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.06 $1.06

21.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.91 $0.91

90.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.98 $0.98

95.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.73 $9.73

$5.95 $5.95

63.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$8.35 $8.35

80.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.52 $1.52

44.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.20 $3.20

-7.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$0.33 $0.33

666.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.5 $84.5

$21.42 $21.42

294.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.53 $1.53

-3.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.53 $1.53

-37.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.03 $20.03

$10.01 $10.01

100.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.85 $0.85

30.59%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$22.7K $22.7K

10.98%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$29.6K $29.6K

-10.53%

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

$166 $166

$28.99 $28.99

474.16%

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

$43.98 $43.98

$17.94 $17.94

145.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 $60.5

$28.85 $28.85

109.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.40 $22.40

$45.09 $45.09

-50.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

Cinema Ticket

$15.08 $15.08

$6.75 $6.75

123.41%

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

$786 $786

$743 $743

5.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K $12.9K

$8,223 $8,223

56.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$69.8 $69.8

-24.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 $40.64

$50.3 $50.3

-19.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$113 $113

-24.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$107 $107

23.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 $1,638

$542 $542

202.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 $1,295

$354 $354

265.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$1,141 $1,141

93.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$638 $638

160.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 $2,636

$1,636 $1,636

61.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 $2,195

$663 $663

231.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,693 $3,693

$603 $603

512.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

10.12

-32.51%

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

Last update for Orem, UT: October 31, 2026

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Orem, UT

$1.3K 52.1%

Quito

$354 34.9% 72.6% $941

Groceries & Markets

Orem, UT

$365 * 14.7%

Quito

$193 19% 47.2% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Orem, UT

$271 10.9%

Quito

$76 7.5% 72% $195

Eating Out

Orem, UT

$263 10.6%

Quito

$148 14.6% 43.7% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Orem, UT

$140 5.6%

Quito

$153 15.1% 9% $13

Getting Around

Orem, UT

$101 4.1%

Quito

$32 3.2% 68.3% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Orem, UT

$53 2.1%

Quito

$59 5.8% 11.5% $6

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 $1,638 in Orem, UT and $542 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Orem, UT pays about 6.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Orem, UT vs $55 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $193 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Orem, UT

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

13:25 1:25 PM

2 h ahead of Orem, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,129

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Orem, UT Quito 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Orem, UT
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

Orem, UT vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito is about 59% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Orem, UT is about 6.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,638 in Orem, UT versus $542 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Orem, UT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Quito – a meal for two runs $55 versus $60 in Orem, UT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,014 in Quito versus $2,487 in Orem, UT, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Orem, UT. 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 59% less than in Orem, UT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.