Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Cotacachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotacachi: $717 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Cotacachi
Learn more

Cotacachi Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Cotacachi

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Cotacachi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,015 in Quito versus $717 in Cotacachi.

Quito $1,015
Cotacachi $717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,636 in Quito versus $1,170 in Cotacachi.

Quito $1,636
Cotacachi $1,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,258 in Quito versus $1,623 in Cotacachi.

Quito $2,258
Cotacachi $1,623

Living in Quito is roughly 42% more expensive than in Cotacachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quito 25% lower, Cotacachi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 $5.41

$3.88 $3.88

39.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 $55.2

$25.87 $25.87

113.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 $7.66

$4.58 $4.58

67.25%

Cappuccino

$3.31 $3.31

$2.21 $2.21

49.77%

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

$1.36 $1.36

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.80 $0.80

36.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.97 $1.97

75.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.01 $4.01

45.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.10 $1.10

-0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.53 $1.53

1.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.52 $1.52

2.63%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$2.11 $2.11

2.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$6.40 $6.40

0.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.27 $5.27

-0.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 $7.66

$7.46 $7.46

2.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.21 $2.21

5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.14 $1.14

5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.32 $1.32

-3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.10 $1.10

1.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.24 $1.24

-4.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.06 $1.06

-3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.83 $0.83

8.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.03 $1.03

-2.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.46 $4.46

37.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 $8.62

$7.35 $7.35

17.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.51 $1.51

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.05 $3.05

1.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.45 $0.45

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 $21.34

$15.03 $15.03

41.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.24 $1.24

17.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.97 $0.97

58.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.07 $10.07

$9.89 $9.89

1.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.77 $0.77

11.69%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$22.7K $22.7K

2.89%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$29.9K $29.9K

2.04%

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

$28.33 $28.33

$29.09 $29.09

-2.61%

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

$18.08 $18.08

$12.57 $12.57

43.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.84 $28.84

$26.27 $26.27

9.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.86 $42.86

$30.56 $30.56

40.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 $17.92

$10.16 $10.16

76.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$6.52 $6.52

3.53%

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

$750 $750

$76.0 $76.0

887.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,967 $8,967

$2,952 $2,952

203.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 $69.7

$41.41 $41.41

68.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.06 $49.06

$42.47 $42.47

15.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$95.1 $95.1

18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$59.2 $59.2

84.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 $548

$264 $264

107.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 $362

$190 $190

90.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 $1,126

$473 $473

138.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 $637

$414 $414

53.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,654 $1,654

$598 $598

176.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 $664

$517 $517

28.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 $606

$433 $433

40.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

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

Last update for Quito: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cotacachi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$362 35.6%

Cotacachi

$190 26.5% 47.5% $172

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$192 18.9%

Cotacachi

$187 26.1% 2.3% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Cotacachi

$107 15% 30.1% $46

Eating Out

Quito

$145 14.3%

Cotacachi

$98 13.6% 32.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.4%

Cotacachi

$68 9.5% 9.7% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$56 5.6%

Cotacachi

$44 6.1% 22.6% $13

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Cotacachi

$23 3.2% 28.4% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $548 in Quito and $264 in Cotacachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quito pays 40% 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 in Quito vs $26 in Cotacachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $187 per month, with Cotacachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Cotacachi

🕒 Local time

13:39 1:39 PM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

8,238

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Quito Cotacachi 67 km

From you

Quito
Cotacachi

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 Cotacachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito and Cotacachi differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,015 vs $717 including rent). Cotacachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Quito, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $548 in Quito versus $264 in Cotacachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cotacachi runs roughly 30% less than in Quito. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,015 per month in Quito versus $717 in Cotacachi – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Cotacachi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Cotacachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Quito. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.