Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Ayora and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Ayora: $841 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Ayora
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Puerto Ayora Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

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Puerto Ayora

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$841

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $841 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $1,015 in Quito, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $841
Quito $1,015

A couple spends around $1,370 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $1,636 in Quito, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $1,370
Quito $1,636

A family of three spends $1,898 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $2,258 in Quito, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $1,898
Quito $2,258

Puerto Ayora is about 17% cheaper than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Puerto Ayora and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Ayora 38% lower, Quito 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 $3.66

$5.41 $5.41

-32.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.00 $42.00

$55.2 $55.2

-23.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 $7.51

$7.66 $7.66

-1.96%

Cappuccino

$2.75 $2.75

$3.31 $3.31

-16.92%

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

$0.88 $0.88

$1.36 $1.36

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.09 $1.09

-32.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.46 $3.46

-26.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$5.85 $5.85

-34.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.09 $1.09

-1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.55 $1.55

12.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.56 $1.56

-2.56%

Eggs

$2.13 $2.13

$2.16 $2.16

-1.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$6.45 $6.45

0.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$5.22 $5.22

2.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 $7.29

$7.66 $7.66

-4.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.34 $2.34

-22.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.20 $1.20

-9.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.27 $1.27

-3.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.19 $1.19

0.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.02 $1.02

3.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.90 $0.90

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.00 $1.00

3.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 $5.15

$6.14 $6.14

-16.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$8.62 $8.62

-6.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.58 $1.58

-2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.10 $3.10

-1.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.36 $0.36

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 $21.34

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.46 $1.46

-4.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.54 $1.54

-16.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 $10.18

$10.07 $10.07

1.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.86 $0.86

-18.60%

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

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.3K $23.3K

-10.60%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$30.5K $30.5K

13.38%

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

$34.00 $34.00

$28.33 $28.33

20.01%

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

$11.45 $11.45

$18.08 $18.08

-36.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.26 $26.26

$28.84 $28.84

-8.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.96 $31.96

$42.86 $42.86

-25.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.85 $17.85

$17.92 $17.92

-0.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 $7.08

$6.75 $6.75

4.89%

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

$327 $327

$750 $750

-56.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,955 $4,955

$8,967 $8,967

-44.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$69.7 $69.7

-21.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.38 $45.38

$49.06 $49.06

-7.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$112 $112

-0.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 $79.8

$110 $110

-27.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 $475

$548 $548

-13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 $283

$362 $362

-21.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 $697

$1,126 $1,126

-38.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 $545

$637 $637

-14.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,654 $1,654

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 $664

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$808 $808

$606 $606

33.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.09

10.12

-0.30%

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

Last update for Puerto Ayora: October 25, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Ayora

$283 33.7%

Quito

$362 35.6% 27.6% $78

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Ayora

$188 22.3%

Quito

$192 18.9% 2.2% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Ayora

$131 15.6%

Quito

$153 15.1% 16.8% $22

Eating Out

Puerto Ayora

$112 13.3%

Quito

$145 14.3% 29.6% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Ayora

$72 8.5%

Quito

$75 7.4% 4.9% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Ayora

$46 5.5%

Quito

$56 5.6% 22.2% $10

Getting Around

Puerto Ayora

$9.2 * 1.1%

Quito

$32 3.2% 248% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Puerto Ayora versus $548 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 33% higher in Puerto Ayora, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Puerto Ayora versus $55 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $192 – making Puerto Ayora the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

20:55 8:55 PM

1 h ahead of Puerto Ayora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,696

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Puerto Ayora Quito 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Ayora
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

Puerto Ayora vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $841 in Puerto Ayora, $1,015 in Quito – Puerto Ayora comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,262 per month in Puerto Ayora and $1,522 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Ayora, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $475 there versus $548 in Quito.

Kindergarten costs $327 per month in Puerto Ayora and $750 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $841 in Puerto Ayora and $1,015 in Quito. That makes Puerto Ayora about 17% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $841 in Puerto Ayora and $1,015 in Quito, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Ayora – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.