Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Aurora, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,625 in Aurora, CO, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Quito, Ecuador
Aurora, CO, United States
Quito
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$1,014
/mo nomad
Aurora, CO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Aurora, CO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Quito versus $2,625 in Aurora, CO.

  • Quito $1,014
  • Aurora, CO $2,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,641 in Quito versus $4,299 in Aurora, CO.

  • Quito $1,641
  • Aurora, CO $4,299

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,269 in Quito versus $5,974 in Aurora, CO.

  • Quito $2,269
  • Aurora, CO $5,974

Living in Quito costs roughly 61% less than in Aurora, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 25% below, Aurora, CO is 94% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quito
Aurora, CO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.55 $5.55
$30.09 $30.09
-81.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.6 $54.6
$66.9 $66.9
-18.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.63 $7.63
$12.88 $12.88
-40.76%
Cappuccino
$3.33 $3.33
$6.04 $6.04
-44.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 $1.36
$2.73 $2.73
-50.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 $1.14
$2.13 $2.13
-46.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.69 $3.69
$4.94 $4.94
-25.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.16 $6.16
$6.06 $6.06
1.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quito
Aurora, CO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 $1.15
$1.29 $1.29
-10.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 $1.61
$3.10 $3.10
-48.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$2.94 $2.94
-48.64%
Eggs
$2.15 $2.15
$4.47 $4.47
-51.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.47 $6.47
$11.87 $11.87
-45.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.33 $5.33
$9.81 $9.81
-45.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.77 $7.77
$14.08 $14.08
-44.82%
Apples (1kg)
$2.23 $2.23
$4.50 $4.50
-50.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.51 $1.51
-17.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.27 $1.27
$3.01 $3.01
-57.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.08 $1.08
$4.52 $4.52
-76.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 $1.24
$5.61 $5.61
-77.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 $1.06
$4.08 $4.08
-74.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.95 $1.95
-53.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 $0.98
$3.95 $3.95
-75.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.95 $5.95
$10.19 $10.19
-41.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.35 $8.35
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.77 $1.77
-14.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 $3.20
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Quito
Aurora, CO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 $0.33
$3.04 $3.04
-89.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.42 $21.42
$133 $133
-83.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 $1.53
$3.53 $3.53
-56.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.71 $1.71
-10.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.01 $10.01
$30.28 $30.28
-66.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 $0.85
$1.01 $1.01
-15.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.7K $22.7K
$28.4K $28.4K
-20.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.6K $29.6K
$27.3K $27.3K
8.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quito
Aurora, CO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$28.99 $28.99
$156 $156
-81.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.94 $17.94
$82.3 $82.3
-78.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.85 $28.85
$51.2 $51.2
-43.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quito
Aurora, CO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 $45.09
$15.26 $15.26
195.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.78 $17.78
$9.91 $9.91
79.41%
Cinema Ticket
$6.75 $6.75
$18.60 $18.60
-63.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quito
Aurora, CO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$743 $743
$1,133 $1,133
-34.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,223 $8,223
$9,215 $9,215
-10.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quito
Aurora, CO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.8 $69.8
$57.3 $57.3
21.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.3 $50.3
$50.8 $50.8
-0.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 $113
$105 $105
7.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$114 $114
-6.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quito
Aurora, CO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$542 $542
$1,865 $1,865
-70.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$354 $354
$1,215 $1,215
-70.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,141 $1,141
$3,415 $3,415
-66.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$638 $638
$2,826 $2,826
-77.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,636 $1,636
$3,147 $3,147
-48.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$663 $663
$2,704 $2,704
-75.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quito
Aurora, CO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$603 $603
$4,265 $4,265
-85.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.12
6.26
61.66%

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Aurora, CO: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Quito
$354
Aurora, CO
$1.2K 243% $860
Groceries & Markets
Quito
$193
Aurora, CO
$356 * 84.6% $163
Clothing & Footwear
Quito
$153
Aurora, CO
$147 3.9% $5.9
Eating Out
Quito
$148
Aurora, CO
$408 176% $260
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quito
$76
Aurora, CO
$290 283% $214
Sport & Entertainment
Quito
$59
Aurora, CO
$52 10.5% $6.1
Getting Around
Quito
$32
Aurora, CO
$158 393% $126

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 $542 in Quito and $1,865 in Aurora, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aurora, CO pays about 7.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Quito vs $67 in Aurora, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $356 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Quito
🇺🇸 Aurora, CO
🕒 Local time
08:12 8:12 AM
06:12 6:12 AM
2 h behind Quito
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,671,191 Capital
180,542
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quito Aurora, CO 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Quito
  • Aurora, CO

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
Quito vs Aurora, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Quito or Aurora, CO?
Quito wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Aurora, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Quito the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Quito or in Aurora, CO?
On paper, salaries run 86% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Quito compared to Aurora, CO?
Rent for a central apartment: $542 in Quito versus $1,865 in Aurora, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Quito or in Aurora, CO?
Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Aurora, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Quito and in Aurora, CO?
Dining out is cheaper in Quito – a meal for two runs $55 versus $67 in Aurora, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Quito or in Aurora, CO?
At $1,014 in Quito versus $2,625 in Aurora, CO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Aurora, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Quito or Aurora, CO?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Aurora, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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