Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portoviejo and Guayaquil

For one person, living is cheaper in Portoviejo: $877 a month against $1,235 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Portoviejo
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Portoviejo Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index

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Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$877

/mo nomad

Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Portoviejo and in Guayaquil

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Portoviejo and in Guayaquil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $877 per month in Portoviejo vs $1,235 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Portoviejo $877
Guayaquil $1,235

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Portoviejo vs $1,918 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Portoviejo $1,400
Guayaquil $1,918

A family of three spends $1,924 per month in Portoviejo vs $2,600 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Portoviejo $1,924
Guayaquil $2,600

Portoviejo is about 29% cheaper than Guayaquil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Portoviejo and Guayaquil are more affordable than the global median – Portoviejo 36% lower, Guayaquil 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 $4.06

$3.91 $3.91

3.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 $51.6

$53.3 $53.3

-3.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 $8.95

$8.76 $8.76

2.17%

Cappuccino

$2.93 $2.93

$2.82 $2.82

3.90%

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

$0.94 $0.94

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 $0.67

$0.68 $0.68

-1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.03 $3.03

-3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 $4.16

$4.35 $4.35

-4.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.22 $1.22

-4.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.93 $1.93

4.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$2.06 $2.06

4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$7.02 $7.02

-1.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$5.23 $5.23

-3.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$9.29 $9.29

1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.48 $1.48

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.98 $0.98

1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.90 $0.90

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.23 $1.23

-0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.93 $0.93

6.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.81 $0.81

9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.97 $0.97

-3.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 $6.04

$5.90 $5.90

2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 $12.23

$12.15 $12.15

0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.56 $1.56

-3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.15 $2.15

1.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 $20.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.72 $2.72

-1.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.72 $1.72

4.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.17 $12.17

$12.07 $12.07

0.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.84 $0.84

4.76%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$23.1K $23.1K

-0.62%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

0.07%

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

$33.95 $33.95

$128 $128

-73.54%

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

$14.67 $14.67

$14.99 $14.99

-2.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.33 $26.33

$25.69 $25.69

2.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.57 $31.57

$44.63 $44.63

-29.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 $16.27

$26.98 $26.98

-39.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 $7.54

$7.55 $7.55

-0.13%

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

$375 $375

$370 $370

1.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,671 $5,671

$5,607 $5,607

1.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 $65.2

$64.1 $64.1

1.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 $41.29

$40.54 $40.54

1.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$126 $126

-2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 $92.4

$93.4 $93.4

-1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 $415

$656 $656

-36.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$505 $505

-45.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 $914

$1,001 $1,001

-8.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 $430

$929 $929

-53.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,019 $1,019

$2,039 $2,039

-50.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 $789

$1,205 $1,205

-34.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$331 $331

$622 $622

-46.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

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

Last update for Portoviejo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Guayaquil: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portoviejo

$273 31.2%

Guayaquil

$505 40.9% 84.6% $231

Groceries & Markets

Portoviejo

$201 22.9%

Guayaquil

$200 16.2% 0.2% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Portoviejo

$145 16.5%

Guayaquil

$146 11.8% 0.7% $1.1

Eating Out

Portoviejo

$124 14.1%

Guayaquil

$122 9.9% 1.7% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portoviejo

$75 8.5%

Guayaquil

$169 13.7% 126% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Portoviejo

$47 5.3%

Guayaquil

$60 4.8% 28% $13

Getting Around

Portoviejo

$13 * 1.5%

Guayaquil

$33 2.7% 158% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $415 in Portoviejo versus $656 in Guayaquil. 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 88% higher in Guayaquil. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Portoviejo versus $53 in Guayaquil. Groceries tell a different story – $201 in Portoviejo vs $200 in Guayaquil – so Guayaquil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

Same time as Portoviejo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,641

3,500,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

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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

Portoviejo vs Guayaquil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guayaquil is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,316 per month in Portoviejo and $1,852 in Guayaquil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portoviejo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $415 there versus $656 in Guayaquil.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $877 in Portoviejo and $1,235 in Guayaquil. That makes Portoviejo about 29% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Portoviejo and $370 in Guayaquil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $877 in Portoviejo and $1,235 in Guayaquil. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Guayaquil has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $877 in Portoviejo to $1,235 in Guayaquil. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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