Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and El Paso, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,125 in El Paso, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
102

Cost of Living Index in El Paso, TX
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El Paso, TX Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

El Paso, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in El Paso, TX

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 El Paso, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Quito vs $2,125 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Quito $1,014
El Paso, TX $2,125

A couple spends around $1,641 per month in Quito vs $3,167 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Quito $1,641
El Paso, TX $3,167

A family of three spends $2,269 per month in Quito vs $4,209 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Quito $2,269
El Paso, TX $4,209

Quito is about 52% cheaper than El Paso, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Quito sits 25% below the global median, while El Paso, TX is 57% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 $5.55

$18.86 $18.86

-70.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$77.0 $77.0

-29.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 $7.63

$11.91 $11.91

-35.94%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$6.06 $6.06

-45.05%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$2.37 $2.37

-42.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.61 $1.61

-29.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 $3.69

$6.16 $6.16

-40.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$6.93 $6.93

-11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.82 $0.82

40.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.88 $2.88

-44.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.49 $2.49

-39.36%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$3.48 $3.48

-38.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$11.79 $11.79

-45.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$11.70 $11.70

-54.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$12.69 $12.69

-38.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.61 $3.61

-38.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.48 $1.48

-16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.49 $2.49

-49.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$3.59 $3.59

-69.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.15 $2.15

-42.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.75 $2.75

-61.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.84 $1.84

-50.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.56 $1.56

-37.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 $5.95

$10.23 $10.23

-41.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 $8.35

$9.46 $9.46

-11.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.09 $2.09

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$4.92 $4.92

-34.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$1.46 $1.46

-77.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

$48.84 $48.84

-56.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.70 $1.70

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.37 $1.37

11.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$27.31 $27.31

-63.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.96 $0.96

-11.46%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$27.4K $27.4K

-17.21%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

13.29%

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

$28.99 $28.99

$163 $163

-82.26%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$72.6 $72.6

-75.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 $28.85

$69.0 $69.0

-58.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 $45.09

$18.03 $18.03

150.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

$8.43 $8.43

110.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$11.99 $11.99

-43.70%

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

$743 $743

$699 $699

6.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,223 $8,223

$11.6K $11.6K

-28.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$45.52 $45.52

53.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$35.91 $35.91

40.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$102 $102

10.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$177 $177

-39.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 $542

$1,072 $1,072

-49.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

$908 $908

-60.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$1,575 $1,575

-27.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$1,471 $1,471

-56.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

$1,930 $1,930

-15.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 $663

$1,702 $1,702

-61.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 $603

$3,348 $3,348

-81.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.51

55.45%

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for El Paso, TX: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$354 34.9%

El Paso, TX

$908 42.7% 156% $553

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$193 19%

El Paso, TX

$325 15.3% 68.6% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

El Paso, TX

$162 7.6% 6% $9.2

Eating Out

Quito

$148 14.6%

El Paso, TX

$320 15.1% 116% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$76 7.5%

El Paso, TX

$305 14.4% 303% $229

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 5.8%

El Paso, TX

$42 2% 28.3% $17

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

El Paso, TX

$63 3% 97.9% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $542 in Quito versus $1,072 in El Paso, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in El Paso, TX are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito versus $77 in El Paso, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $325 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 El Paso, TX

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

22:21 10:21 PM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

678,815

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Quito El Paso, TX 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
El Paso, TX

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 El Paso, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Paso, TX costs about 109% more than Quito, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,521 per month in Quito and $3,187 in El Paso, TX. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $542 there versus $1,072 in El Paso, TX.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,014 in Quito and $2,125 in El Paso, TX. That makes Quito about 52% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in El Paso, TX at $2,125. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in El Paso, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Quito has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,014 in Quito to $2,125 in El Paso, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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