Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Penasco and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,216 in Puerto Penasco, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Penasco
Learn more

Puerto Penasco Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

Jump to prices

Puerto Penasco

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,216

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,216 in Puerto Penasco versus $979 in Quito.

Puerto Penasco $1,216
Quito $979

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,963 in Puerto Penasco versus $1,607 in Quito.

Puerto Penasco $1,963
Quito $1,607

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,710 in Puerto Penasco versus $2,234 in Quito.

Puerto Penasco $2,710
Quito $2,234

Living in Puerto Penasco is roughly 24% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Penasco 9% lower, Quito 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 MX$224

$6.14 $6.14

98.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.66 MX$820

$53.9 $53.9

-17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 MX$157

$7.81 $7.81

9.60%

Cappuccino

$4.83 MX$88.7

$3.42 $3.42

41.23%

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

$1.40 MX$25.67

$1.44 $1.44

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$19.32

$1.14 $1.14

-7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$49.05

$3.48 $3.48

-23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 MX$72.6

$5.89 $5.89

-32.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$29.32

$1.14 $1.14

40.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$55.9

$1.54 $1.54

98.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$30.92

$1.51 $1.51

11.26%

Eggs

$2.99 MX$54.8

$2.16 $2.16

38.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.88 MX$89.7

$6.40 $6.40

-23.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.75 MX$197

$5.48 $5.48

96.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 MX$178

$7.81 $7.81

23.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 MX$82.1

$2.33 $2.33

91.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MX$35.06

$1.24 $1.24

54.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 MX$57.8

$1.31 $1.31

140.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 MX$38.80

$1.14 $1.14

85.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.88

$1.21 $1.21

61.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.14

$1.02 $1.02

98.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.85

$0.93 $0.93

56.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.19

$1.05 $1.05

51.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MX$82.2

$6.02 $6.02

-25.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 MX$252

$9.93 $9.93

37.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$28.91

$1.59 $1.59

-1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$28.67

$3.08 $3.08

-49.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.71

$0.37 $0.37

72.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 MX$41.40

$1.54 $1.54

46.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 MX$57.5

$1.53 $1.53

104.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.22 MX$206

$10.01 $10.01

12.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$25.27

$0.87 $0.87

58.62%

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

$21.3K MX$391.3K

$21.0K $21.0K

1.55%

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

$24.4K MX$448.1K

$28.6K $28.6K

-14.53%

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

$71.5 MX$1,314

$28.97 $28.97

146.95%

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

$12.60 MX$231

$17.57 $17.57

-28.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.81 MX$804

$28.14 $28.14

55.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 MX$613

$46.48 $46.48

-28.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.26 MX$372

$17.70 $17.70

14.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MX$99.6

$6.38 $6.38

-14.89%

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

$226 MX$4,143

$746 $746

-69.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,696 MX$86.2K

$9,015 $9,015

-47.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 MX$1,026

$68.8 $68.8

-18.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 MX$773

$50.4 $50.4

-16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,839

$117 $117

-14.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 MX$1,664

$109 $109

-16.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 MX$9,787

$478 $478

11.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 MX$7,112

$313 $313

23.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 MX$17.6K

$967 $967

-1.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$14.0K

$549 $549

39.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,873 MX$34.4K

$1,763 $1,763

6.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,168 MX$21.4K

$720 $720

62.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 MX$10.9K

$597 $597

-0.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.55

10.12

4.25%

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

Last update for Puerto Penasco: 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

Puerto Penasco

$387 31.9%

Quito

$313 31.8% 19.2% $74

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Penasco

$293 24.1%

Quito

$198 20.1% 32.5% $95

Eating Out

Puerto Penasco

$212 17.5%

Quito

$153 15.5% 27.9% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Penasco

$130 10.7%

Quito

$156 15.8% 19.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Penasco

$128 10.5%

Quito

$75 7.6% 41.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Penasco

$44 3.6%

Quito

$59 6% 33.8% $15

Getting Around

Puerto Penasco

$20 * 1.7%

Quito

$32 3.2% 54.7% $11

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 $533 in Puerto Penasco and $478 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quito pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Puerto Penasco vs $54.0 in Quito. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $198, with Quito cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Puerto Penasco

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

06:42 6:42 AM

2 h ahead of Puerto Penasco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,756

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 = 20.57 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Puerto Penasco Quito 5,090 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Puerto Penasco and Quito differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,216 vs $979 including rent). Quito is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Quito. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $533 in Puerto Penasco versus $478 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Puerto Penasco 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 Puerto Penasco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $979 in Quito versus $1,216 in Puerto Penasco, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Puerto Penasco. 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.

Safety-wise, Puerto Penasco and Quito are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Puerto Penasco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.