Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Cordoba

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,351 in Cordoba, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Cordoba
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Cordoba Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Cordoba

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Cordoba

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

A single person spends $979 per month in Quito vs $1,351 in Cordoba, rent included.

Quito $979
Cordoba $1,351

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Quito vs $2,281 in Cordoba, rent included.

Quito $1,607
Cordoba $2,281

A family of three spends $2,234 per month in Quito vs $3,211 in Cordoba, rent included.

Quito $2,234
Cordoba $3,211

Quito is about 28% cheaper than Cordoba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Quito sits 27% below the global median, while Cordoba is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 $6.14

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

-55.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$53.3 ARS 80.8K

1.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$13.21 ARS 20.0K

-40.88%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$3.70 ARS 5,608

-7.57%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$2.56 ARS 3,879

-43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.03 ARS 3,073

-43.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.36 ARS 5,097

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.64 ARS 5,515

61.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.63 ARS 2,470

-30.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.82 ARS 4,282

-45.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.06 ARS 3,120

-26.70%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$2.45 ARS 3,721

-11.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$10.14 ARS 15.4K

-36.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$8.19 ARS 12.4K

-33.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$11.48 ARS 17.4K

-31.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.56 ARS 3,885

-8.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.30 ARS 3,489

-46.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.66 ARS 2,511

-21.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.75 ARS 4,169

-58.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.17 ARS 1,779

3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.35 ARS 2,040

-24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.26 ARS 1,908

-26.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.68 ARS 2,554

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 $6.02

$4.99 ARS 7,562

20.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$4.86 ARS 7,365

104.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.26 ARS 3,431

-29.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.66 ARS 5,552

-15.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$1.27 ARS 1,930

-70.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

$57.3 ARS 86.8K

-63.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.28 ARS 1,946

20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.94 ARS 2,944

-21.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$7.12 ARS 10.8K

40.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.16 ARS 1,760

-25.00%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

-40.06%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$36.1K ARS 54.7M

-20.84%

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

$28.97 $28.97

$159 ARS 241.2K

-81.79%

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

$17.57 $17.57

$17.46 ARS 26.5K

0.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 $28.14

$32.30 ARS 49.0K

-12.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 $46.48

$28.56 ARS 43.3K

62.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

$23.34 ARS 35.4K

-24.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 $6.38

$10.11 ARS 15.3K

-36.89%

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

$746 $746

$218 ARS 330.9K

241.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,015 $9,015

$4,151 ARS 6.3M

117.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$127 ARS 192.7K

-45.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$103 ARS 156.8K

-51.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$141 ARS 213.1K

-16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$134 ARS 202.8K

-18.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 $478

$489 ARS 741.6K

-2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$306 ARS 464.4K

2.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$1,001 ARS 1.5M

-3.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 $549

$792 ARS 1.2M

-30.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$2,762 ARS 4.2M

-36.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 $720

$1,591 ARS 2.4M

-54.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$656 ARS 994.2K

-9.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

48.5

-79.13%

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

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cordoba: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$313 31.8%

Cordoba

$306 22.3% 2.2% $6.8

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.1%

Cordoba

$275 20% 39.3% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$156 15.8%

Cordoba

$227 16.5% 46.1% $72

Eating Out

Quito

$153 15.5%

Cordoba

$236 17.2% 54.5% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

Cordoba

$209 15.2% 180% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Cordoba

$49 3.6% 17.6% $10

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Cordoba

$73 5.3% 132% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Quito versus $489 in Cordoba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Cordoba, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Quito versus $53.0 in Cordoba. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Quito vs $275 in Cordoba – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇦🇷 Cordoba

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

08:30 8:30 AM

2 h ahead of Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

1,655,481

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.89 EUR).

ARS to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quito Cordoba 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Cordoba

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 Cordoba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cordoba is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,468 per month in Quito and $2,027 in Cordoba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Quito and $53.0 in Cordoba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $979 in Quito and $1,351 in Cordoba. That's a gap of about 38%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Cordoba at $1,351. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cordoba it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quito – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Quito. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cordoba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.