Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasadena, CA and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $4,276 in Pasadena, CA, rent and utilities included – about $39,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

207

Cost of Living Index in Pasadena, CA
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Pasadena, CA Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Pasadena, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,276

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,276 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $978 in Quito, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $4,276
Quito $978

A couple spends around $6,133 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $1,586 in Quito, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $6,133
Quito $1,586

A family of three spends $7,990 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $2,194 in Quito, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $7,990
Quito $2,194

Pasadena, CA costs about 337% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pasadena, CA sits 217% above the global median, while Quito is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 $17.89

$6.08 $6.08

194.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$55.5 $55.5

37.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$7.61 $7.61

32.85%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$3.40 $3.40

35.59%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$1.37 $1.37

105.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.09 $1.09

45.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.43 $3.43

44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 $5.71

$6.06 $6.06

-5.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.14 $1.14

21.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.60 $1.60

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.58 $1.58

85.44%

Eggs

$5.22 $5.22

$2.12 $2.12

146.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 $13.74

$6.58 $6.58

108.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$5.51 $5.51

152.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.58 $12.58

$7.65 $7.65

64.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.24 $2.24

105.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.19 $1.19

89.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.33 $1.33

241.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$1.13 $1.13

442.48%

Potato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.24 $1.24

274.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.02 $1.02

134.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.92 $0.92

102.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.05 $1.05

111.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 $11.64

$6.16 $6.16

88.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 $10.96

$10.07 $10.07

8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.58 $1.58

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.09 $3.09

-38.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$0.36 $0.36

386.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 $103

$21.37 $21.37

381.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.53 $1.53

131.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.49 $1.49

26.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.02 $24.02

$9.84 $9.84

144.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.81 $0.81

95.06%

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

$33.4K $33.4K

$21.3K $21.3K

57.14%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$27.9K $27.9K

-8.50%

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

$248 $248

$28.75 $28.75

763.90%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$17.86 $17.86

230.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 $64.4

$28.20 $28.20

128.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.90 $34.90

$46.08 $46.08

-24.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.33 $35.33

$17.76 $17.76

98.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 $12.21

$6.34 $6.34

92.59%

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

$3,835 $3,835

$739 $739

419.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K $15.2K

$8,909 $8,909

70.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.04 $31.04

$71.0 $71.0

-56.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.98 $33.98

$50.4 $50.4

-32.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$114 $114

-37.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$107 $107

32.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,169 $3,169

$491 $491

545.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,907 $2,907

$309 $309

841.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,545 $5,545

$932 $932

494.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,978 $4,978

$540 $540

821.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,747 $8,747

$1,759 $1,759

397.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,647 $8,647

$715 $715

1110.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,199 $5,199

$594 $594

775.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

10.12

-37.45%

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

Last update for Pasadena, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pasadena, CA

$2.9K 68%

Quito

$309 31.6% 89.4% $2.6K

Groceries & Markets

Pasadena, CA

$407 9.5%

Quito

$198 20.3% 51.3% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasadena, CA

$372 8.7%

Quito

$75 7.7% 79.9% $297

Eating Out

Pasadena, CA

$282 6.6%

Quito

$151 15.5% 46.4% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Pasadena, CA

$125 2.9%

Quito

$154 15.8% 23.4% $29

Getting Around

Pasadena, CA

$123 2.9%

Quito

$32 3.3% 74.1% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Pasadena, CA

$59 1.4%

Quito

$59 6% 0.9% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,169 in Pasadena, CA versus $491 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 776% higher in Pasadena, CA, 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 $76.0 in Pasadena, CA versus $55.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pasadena, CA

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

09:43 9:43 AM

2 h ahead of Pasadena, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,122

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pasadena, CA Quito 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Pasadena, CA
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

Pasadena, CA vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,276 in Pasadena, CA, $978 in Quito – roughly 337% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,414 per month in Pasadena, CA and $1,467 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,276 in Pasadena, CA and $978 in Quito. That's a gap of about 337%.

Public transport costs about 381% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Pasadena, CA at $4,276. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pasadena, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Quito has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $978 in Quito to $4,276 in Pasadena, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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