Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Denver, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $3,060 in Denver, CO, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 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
147

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
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Denver, CO Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Denver, CO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Quito versus $3,060 in Denver, CO.

Quito $1,014
Denver, CO $3,060

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,641 in Quito versus $4,532 in Denver, CO.

Quito $1,641
Denver, CO $4,532

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,269 in Quito versus $6,004 in Denver, CO.

Quito $2,269
Denver, CO $6,004

Living in Quito costs roughly 67% less than in Denver, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 25% below, Denver, CO is 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 $5.55

$19.69 $19.69

-71.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$84.5 $84.5

-35.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 $7.63

$11.84 $11.84

-35.56%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$5.92 $5.92

-43.75%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$2.90 $2.90

-53.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.28 $2.28

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 $3.69

$6.84 $6.84

-46.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$7.39 $7.39

-16.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.16 $1.16

-0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$5.32 $5.32

-69.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$7.53 $7.53

-79.95%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$4.69 $4.69

-54.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$16.92 $16.92

-61.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$17.09 $17.09

-68.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$18.71 $18.71

-58.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$5.05 $5.05

-55.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.17 $2.17

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$4.59 $4.59

-72.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$5.32 $5.32

-79.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.38 $2.38

-47.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.82 $2.82

-62.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.27 $2.27

-59.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.56 $2.56

-61.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 $5.95

$10.76 $10.76

-44.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 $8.35

$19.41 $19.41

-56.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.78 $2.78

-45.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.91 $3.91

-18.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$2.76 $2.76

-88.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

$87.9 $87.9

-75.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.53 $3.53

-56.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.73 $1.73

-11.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$30.43 $30.43

-67.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.05 $1.05

-19.05%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$30.7K $30.7K

-26.07%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

13.27%

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

$28.99 $28.99

$164 $164

-82.28%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$77.7 $77.7

-76.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 $28.85

$69.1 $69.1

-58.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 $45.09

$59.2 $59.2

-23.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

$24.74 $24.74

-28.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$15.10 $15.10

-55.30%

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

$743 $743

$2,281 $2,281

-67.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,223 $8,223

$35.6K $35.6K

-76.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$69.3 $69.3

0.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$45.23 $45.23

11.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$103 $103

9.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$134 $134

-20.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 $542

$1,846 $1,846

-70.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

$1,555 $1,555

-77.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$3,368 $3,368

-66.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$2,602 $2,602

-75.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

$5,502 $5,502

-70.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 $663

$3,497 $3,497

-81.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 $603

$5,429 $5,429

-88.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.86

47.52%

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Denver, CO: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$354 34.9%

Denver, CO

$1.6K 50.8% 339% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$193 19%

Denver, CO

$502 16.4% 161% $310

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Denver, CO

$158 5.2% 3.5% $5.3

Eating Out

Quito

$148 14.6%

Denver, CO

$334 10.9% 125% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$76 7.5%

Denver, CO

$310 10.1% 310% $235

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 5.8%

Denver, CO

$89 2.9% 52.6% $31

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Denver, CO

$111 3.6% 248% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Quito and $1,846 in Denver, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denver, CO pays about 9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Quito vs $84 in Denver, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $502 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

19:55 7:55 PM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

715,522

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quito Denver, CO 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Denver, CO

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 Denver, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Denver, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Quito the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Quito. 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: $542 in Quito versus $1,846 in Denver, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 161% higher in Denver, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Quito – a meal for two runs $55 versus $84 in Denver, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,014 in Quito versus $3,060 in Denver, CO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Denver, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quito is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Denver, CO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Denver, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.