Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Dawson City

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $1,888 in Dawson City, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Quito
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$978
/mo nomad
Dawson City
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,888
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Dawson City

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

A single person spends $978 per month in Quito vs $1,888 in Dawson City, rent included.

  • Quito $978
  • Dawson City $1,888

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Quito vs $3,267 in Dawson City, rent included.

  • Quito $1,586
  • Dawson City $3,267

A family of three spends $2,194 per month in Quito vs $4,647 in Dawson City, rent included.

  • Quito $2,194
  • Dawson City $4,647

Quito is about 48% cheaper than Dawson City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 28% below the global median, while Dawson City is 40% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quito
Dawson City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.08 $6.08
$24.14 CA$34.12
-74.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.5 $55.5
$102 CA$144
-45.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.61 $7.61
$10.41 CA$14.71
-26.90%
Cappuccino
$3.40 $3.40
$3.74 CA$5.29
-9.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 $1.37
$1.78 CA$2.52
-23.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.57 CA$2.22
-30.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.43 $3.43
$5.19 CA$7.34
-33.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.06 $6.06
$5.55 CA$7.84
9.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quito
Dawson City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$2.62 CA$3.70
-56.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.60 $1.60
$4.11 CA$5.81
-61.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.58 $1.58
$4.95 CA$6.99
-68.08%
Eggs
$2.12 $2.12
$5.00 CA$7.06
-57.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.58 $6.58
$9.66 CA$13.66
-31.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.51 $5.51
$14.61 CA$20.65
-62.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.65 $7.65
$14.38 CA$20.33
-46.80%
Apples (1kg)
$2.24 $2.24
$4.00 CA$5.65
-44.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.19 $1.19
$1.48 CA$2.09
-19.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 $1.33
$3.95 CA$5.59
-66.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.13 $1.13
$4.06 CA$5.73
-72.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 $1.24
$2.43 CA$3.43
-48.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 $1.02
$2.21 CA$3.12
-53.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 $0.92
$2.42 CA$3.42
-61.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.55 CA$2.19
-32.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.16 $6.16
$14.27 CA$20.17
-56.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.07 $10.07
$12.76 CA$18.05
-21.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 $1.58
$2.52 CA$3.57
-37.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 $3.09
$2.97 CA$4.20
4.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Quito
Dawson City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 $0.36
$1.98 CA$2.80
-81.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.37 $21.37
$61.4 CA$86.8
-65.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 $1.53
$3.23 CA$4.57
-52.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.64 CA$2.32
-9.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.84 $9.84
$23.68 CA$33.48
-58.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 $0.81
$1.18 CA$1.67
-31.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.3K $21.3K
$27.9K CA$39.5K
-23.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.9K $27.9K
$18.0K CA$25.5K
54.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quito
Dawson City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$28.75 $28.75
$136 CA$193
-78.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.86 $17.86
$37.51 CA$53.0
-52.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.20 $28.20
$53.3 CA$75.4
-47.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quito
Dawson City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.08 $46.08
$41.06 CA$58.1
12.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.76 $17.76
$17.56 CA$24.82
1.14%
Cinema Ticket
$6.34 $6.34
$12.54 CA$17.73
-49.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quito
Dawson City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$739 $739
$848 CA$1,199
-12.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,909 $8,909
$12.6K CA$17.8K
-29.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quito
Dawson City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.0 $71.0
$63.2 CA$89.4
12.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.4 $50.4
$37.70 CA$53.3
33.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 $114
$66.3 CA$93.7
72.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$100 CA$142
6.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quito
Dawson City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$491 $491
$1,224 CA$1,730
-59.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 $309
$672 CA$951
-54.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$932 $932
$1,931 CA$2,729
-51.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$540 $540
$1,710 CA$2,418
-68.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,759 $1,759
$4,427 CA$6,258
-60.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$715 $715
$3,172 CA$4,484
-77.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quito
Dawson City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$594 $594
$2,819 CA$3,986
-78.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.12
4.66
117.17%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dawson City: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Quito
$309
Dawson City
$672 118% $364
Groceries & Markets
Quito
$198
Dawson City
$401 103% $203
Clothing & Footwear
Quito
$154
Dawson City
$120 21.9% $34
Eating Out
Quito
$151
Dawson City
$320 111% $168
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quito
$75
Dawson City
$227 204% $152
Sport & Entertainment
Quito
$59
Dawson City
$66 12.6% $7.4
Getting Around
Quito
$32
Dawson City
$81 154% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $491 in Quito versus $1,224 in Dawson City. 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 375% higher in Dawson City, 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 $55.0 in Quito versus $102 in Dawson City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $401 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Quito
🇨🇦 Dawson City
🕒 Local time
10:14 10:14 AM
08:14 8:14 AM
2 h behind Quito
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,671,191 Capital
1,375
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quito Dawson City 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Quito
  • Dawson City

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 Dawson City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dawson City cheaper than Quito?
Yes – Dawson City is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,467 per month in Quito and $2,832 in Dawson City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $739 per month in Quito and $848 in Dawson City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Quito and in Dawson City?
Groceries cost about 103% more in Dawson City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Quito or in Dawson City?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Dawson City at $1,888. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dawson City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Quito or Dawson City more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Quito. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dawson City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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