Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Chone

For one person, living is cheaper in Chone: $732 a month against $978 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Chone
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Chone Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Chone

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Chone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Quito versus $732 in Chone.

Quito $978
Chone $732

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Quito versus $1,240 in Chone.

Quito $1,586
Chone $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Quito versus $1,748 in Chone.

Quito $2,194
Chone $1,748

Living in Quito is roughly 34% more expensive than in Chone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quito 28% lower, Chone 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$3.77 $3.77

61.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$31.29 $31.29

77.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$5.91 $5.91

28.76%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$2.48 $2.48

37.10%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$0.86 $0.86

59.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.69 $0.69

57.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.07 $2.07

65.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.08 $4.08

48.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.12 $1.12

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.52 $1.52

5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.57 $1.57

0.64%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$2.00 $2.00

6.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$6.64 $6.64

-0.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.55 $4.55

21.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$6.32 $6.32

21.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.55 $1.55

44.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$0.97 $0.97

22.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.04 $1.04

27.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.03 $1.03

9.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.13 $1.13

9.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.03 $1.03

-0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.71 $0.71

29.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.08 $1.08

-2.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.01 $5.01

22.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$8.56 $8.56

17.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.63 $1.63

-3.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.76 $2.76

11.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.31 $0.31

16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

$17.28 $17.28

23.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.32 $1.32

15.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.23 $1.23

21.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.58 $8.58

14.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.86 $0.86

-5.81%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.7K $21.7K

-1.91%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$33.0K $33.0K

-15.46%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$41.43 $41.43

-30.61%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$13.59 $13.59

31.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$25.32 $25.32

11.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$33.32 $33.32

38.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$15.43 $15.43

15.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$6.33 $6.33

0.16%

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

$739 $739

$207 $207

257.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$5,025 $5,025

77.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$55.5 $55.5

27.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$47.21 $47.21

6.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$109 $109

4.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$79.7 $79.7

34.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$319 $319

53.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$169 $169

83.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$788 $788

18.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$451 $451

19.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$1,272 $1,272

38.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$807 $807

-11.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

10.05

0.70%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chone: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

Chone

$169 23.1% 45.4% $140

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

Chone

$177 24.2% 10.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

Chone

$131 17.9% 15% $23

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

Chone

$102 14% 32.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

Chone

$80 11% 7.4% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Chone

$46 6.3% 21.7% $13

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

Chone

$26 3.6% 18.2% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $491 in Quito and $319 in Chone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Quito vs $31.00 in Chone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $177 per month, with Chone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Chone

🕒 Local time

12:54 12:54 PM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

44,751

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Quito Chone 180 km

From you

Quito
Chone

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 Chone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chone wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Quito. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,467 in Quito and $1,097 in Chone to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $491 in Quito versus $319 in Chone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $978 per month in Quito versus $732 in Chone – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chone runs roughly 24% less than in Quito. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $732 in Chone versus $978 in Quito, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chone but tight or insufficient in Quito. The gap between the two cities makes Chone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $732 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chone hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Quito. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.