Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Ensenada

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,077 in Ensenada, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Ensenada despite lower rent and utilities.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Ensenada
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Ensenada Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Ensenada

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Ensenada

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $979 in Quito versus $1,077 in Ensenada.

Quito $979
Ensenada $1,077

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,607 in Quito versus $1,707 in Ensenada.

Quito $1,607
Ensenada $1,707

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,234 in Quito versus $2,336 in Ensenada.

Quito $2,234
Ensenada $2,336

Living in Quito costs roughly 9% less than in Ensenada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quito 27% lower, Ensenada 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 $6.14

$11.98 MX$220

-48.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$34.40 MX$632

56.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$7.38 MX$136

5.83%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$3.06 MX$56.2

11.76%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$1.18 MX$21.71

22.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.69 MX$12.67

65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.84 MX$52.1

22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.97 MX$73.0

48.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.76 MX$32.29

-35.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.63 MX$48.30

-41.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.71 MX$31.40

-11.70%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$2.73 MX$50.0

-20.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$8.54 MX$157

-25.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$6.75 MX$124

-18.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$10.39 MX$191

-24.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.17 MX$39.77

7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.64 MX$30.08

-24.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.82 MX$33.37

-28.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.58 MX$29.05

-27.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.35 MX$24.73

-10.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.84 MX$33.72

-44.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.48 MX$27.09

-37.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.04 MX$19.07

0.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 $6.02

$4.06 MX$74.5

48.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$13.45 MX$247

-26.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.81 MX$33.18

-12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.67 MX$49.04

15.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.87 MX$15.96

-57.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

$35.92 MX$659

-41.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.97 MX$54.5

-48.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.98 MX$36.37

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$19.57 MX$359

-48.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.37 MX$25.11

-36.50%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$20.0K MX$367.4K

4.85%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$24.6K MX$451.5K

16.11%

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

$28.97 $28.97

$48.01 MX$882

-39.66%

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

$17.57 $17.57

$32.03 MX$588

-45.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 $28.14

$26.68 MX$490

5.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 $46.48

$30.95 MX$568

50.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

$11.17 MX$205

58.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 $6.38

$4.65 MX$85.3

37.20%

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

$746 $746

$197 MX$3,615

279.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,015 $9,015

$4,889 MX$89.8K

84.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$54.2 MX$994

27.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$44.13 MX$810

14.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$103 MX$1,892

13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$57.9 MX$1,064

88.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 $478

$528 MX$9,700

-9.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$333 MX$6,109

-5.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$1,007 MX$18.5K

-3.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 $549

$649 MX$11.9K

-15.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$1,345 MX$24.7K

31.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 $720

$687 MX$12.6K

4.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$673 MX$12.4K

-11.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

11.3

-10.44%

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

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ensenada: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$313 31.8%

Ensenada

$333 30.6% 6.2% $20

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.1%

Ensenada

$255 23.5% 29.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$156 15.8%

Ensenada

$117 10.7% 25% $39

Eating Out

Quito

$153 15.5%

Ensenada

$184 16.9% 20.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

Ensenada

$107 9.8% 42.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Ensenada

$40 3.7% 32.1% $19

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Ensenada

$52 4.8% 65.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $478 in Quito and $528 in Ensenada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ensenada pays 13% 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: $54.0 in Quito vs $34.00 in Ensenada. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $255, with Quito cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇲🇽 Ensenada

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

330,652

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Quito Ensenada 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Ensenada

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 Ensenada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito and Ensenada differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($979 vs $1,077 including rent). Quito is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Ensenada. 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: $478 in Quito versus $528 in Ensenada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $979 per month in Quito versus $1,077 in Ensenada – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quito runs roughly 71% less than in Ensenada. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $979 in Quito versus $1,077 in Ensenada, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Ensenada. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Quito and Ensenada are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Ensenada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.