Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Burnaby

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $2,738 in Burnaby, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
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Burnaby Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Burnaby

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Quito versus $2,738 in Burnaby.

Quito $978
Burnaby $2,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Quito versus $3,928 in Burnaby.

Quito $1,586
Burnaby $3,928

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Quito versus $5,117 in Burnaby.

Quito $2,194
Burnaby $5,117

Living in Quito costs roughly 64% less than in Burnaby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 28% below, Burnaby is 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$21.18 CA$29.94

-71.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$83.7 CA$118

-33.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$8.94 CA$12.64

-14.88%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$4.66 CA$6.59

-27.04%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$2.30 CA$3.26

-40.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.68 CA$2.38

-35.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$8.45 CA$11.95

-59.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.81 CA$8.21

4.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.30 CA$3.25

-50.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.71 CA$3.83

-40.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.53 CA$4.99

-55.24%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$3.08 CA$4.36

-31.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$13.50 CA$19.08

-51.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$13.49 CA$19.08

-59.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$25.16 CA$35.57

-69.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.46 CA$6.30

-49.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.30 CA$1.84

-8.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$4.52 CA$6.38

-70.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$4.63 CA$6.54

-75.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.81 CA$3.97

-55.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.47 CA$4.90

-70.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.68 CA$3.79

-65.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.11 CA$2.99

-50.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$13.99 CA$19.78

-55.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$13.46 CA$19.03

-25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.08 CA$2.94

-24.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.28 CA$3.22

35.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$2.32 CA$3.28

-84.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

$79.5 CA$112

-73.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.87 CA$4.05

-46.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.50 CA$2.13

-0.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$26.37 CA$37.27

-62.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.30 CA$1.84

-37.69%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

-22.96%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$18.7K CA$26.4K

49.50%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$120 CA$170

-76.12%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$43.55 CA$61.6

-58.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$53.1 CA$75.1

-46.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$29.72 CA$42.01

55.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$10.33 CA$14.61

71.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$13.91 CA$19.67

-54.42%

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

$739 $739

$634 CA$897

16.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$51.7 CA$73.1

37.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$51.6 CA$73.0

-2.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$102 CA$144

12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$77.4 CA$109

38.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$1,628 CA$2,302

-69.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$1,491 CA$2,108

-79.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$2,454 CA$3,469

-62.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$2,187 CA$3,092

-75.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$6,588 CA$9,313

-73.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$5,530 CA$7,817

-87.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

$3,144 CA$4,445

-81.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

4.76

112.61%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

Burnaby

$1.5K 54.4% 383% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

Burnaby

$425 15.5% 115% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

Burnaby

$127 4.6% 17.6% $27

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

Burnaby

$322 11.8% 113% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

Burnaby

$217 7.9% 190% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Burnaby

$58 2.1% 2.1% $1.2

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

Burnaby

$99 3.6% 212% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $491 in Quito and $1,628 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 430% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Quito vs $84.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $425 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

14:04 2:04 PM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

249,125

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Quito Burnaby 6,940 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Burnaby

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 Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito and Burnaby differ by about 180% in total monthly costs ($978 vs $2,738 including rent). Quito is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 430% lower in Burnaby. 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: $491 in Quito versus $1,628 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $739 in Quito versus $634 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $978 in Quito versus $2,738 in Burnaby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. 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 180% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.