Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Quito versus $2,689 in Austin, TX.

Quito $1,014
Austin, TX $2,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,641 in Quito versus $4,112 in Austin, TX.

Quito $1,641
Austin, TX $4,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,269 in Quito versus $5,534 in Austin, TX.

Quito $2,269
Austin, TX $5,534

Living in Quito costs roughly 62% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 25% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 $5.55

$21.34 $21.34

-73.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$87.9 $87.9

-37.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 $7.63

$12.44 $12.44

-38.67%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$5.60 $5.60

-40.54%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$3.65 $3.65

-62.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.39 $2.39

-52.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 $3.69

$7.82 $7.82

-52.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$8.75 $8.75

-29.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.12 $1.12

2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$3.62 $3.62

-55.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.50 $3.50

-56.86%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$4.45 $4.45

-51.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$13.18 $13.18

-50.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$13.94 $13.94

-61.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$16.46 $16.46

-52.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.73 $4.73

-52.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.50 $1.50

-17.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$4.64 $4.64

-72.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$4.52 $4.52

-76.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.55 $2.55

-51.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.39 $2.39

-55.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.84 $1.84

-50.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.13 $2.13

-53.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 $5.95

$10.05 $10.05

-40.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 $8.35

$14.88 $14.88

-43.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.82 $2.82

-46.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.29 $3.29

-2.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$1.23 $1.23

-73.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

$41.43 $41.43

-48.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.68 $2.68

-42.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.63 $1.63

-6.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$35.20 $35.20

-71.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.98 $0.98

-13.27%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$34.4K $34.4K

-33.95%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

10.29%

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

$28.99 $28.99

$252 $252

-88.51%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$59.8 $59.8

-70.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 $28.85

$69.7 $69.7

-58.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 $45.09

$60.4 $60.4

-25.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

$18.14 $18.14

-1.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$13.75 $13.75

-50.91%

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

$743 $743

$1,458 $1,458

-49.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,223 $8,223

$26.6K $26.6K

-69.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$52.6 $52.6

32.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$45.76 $45.76

9.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$85.5 $85.5

32.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$106 $106

0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 $542

$2,195 $2,195

-75.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

$1,269 $1,269

-72.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$4,000 $4,000

-71.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$2,406 $2,406

-73.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

$7,381 $7,381

-77.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 $663

$2,964 $2,964

-77.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 $603

$5,043 $5,043

-88.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.82

48.39%

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$354 34.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2% 258% $915

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$193 19%

Austin, TX

$407 15.2% 111% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Austin, TX

$130 4.9% 14.8% $23

Eating Out

Quito

$148 14.6%

Austin, TX

$356 13.2% 140% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$76 7.5%

Austin, TX

$382 14.2% 404% $306

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 5.8%

Austin, TX

$88 3.3% 50% $29

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Austin, TX

$57 2.1% 78.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Quito and $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 8.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Quito vs $88 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $407 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

23:56 11:56 PM

1 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quito Austin, TX 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Quito the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 88% 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: $542 in Quito versus $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,014 per month in Quito versus $2,689 in Austin, TX – Quito is about 62% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Quito runs roughly 48% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,014 in Quito versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.