Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and the Galapagos Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in the Galapagos Islands: $884 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in the Galapagos Islands
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Galapagos Islands Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in the Galapagos Islands

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 the Galapagos Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,015 per month in Quito vs $884 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Quito $1,015
Galapagos Islands $884

A couple spends around $1,636 per month in Quito vs $1,336 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Quito $1,636
Galapagos Islands $1,336

A family of three spends $2,258 per month in Quito vs $1,789 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Quito $2,258
Galapagos Islands $1,789

Quito costs about 15% more than the Galapagos Islands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Quito and Galapagos Islands are more affordable than the global median – Quito 25% lower, Galapagos Islands 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 $5.41

$3.54 $3.54

52.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 $55.2

$27.52 $27.52

100.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 $7.66

$7.27 $7.27

5.36%

Cappuccino

$3.31 $3.31

$2.50 $2.50

32.40%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$0.85 $0.85

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.66 $0.66

65.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.04 $2.04

69.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.54 $3.54

65.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.62 $1.62

-4.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.57 $1.57

-0.64%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$2.17 $2.17

-0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$5.42 $5.42

19.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.55 $5.55

-5.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 $7.66

$6.21 $6.21

23.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.02 $2.02

15.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.16 $1.16

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.08 $1.08

17.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.07 $1.07

4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.45 $1.45

-17.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.03 $1.03

-0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.51 $0.51

76.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.99 $0.99

1.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 $6.14

$5.86 $5.86

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 $8.62

$9.92 $9.92

-13.10%

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

$2.53 $2.53

22.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.37 $0.37

-2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 $21.34

$24.14 $24.14

-11.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.48 $1.48

-1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.01 $1.01

52.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.07 $10.07

$9.92 $9.92

1.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.66 $0.66

30.30%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

-7.72%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$28.4K $28.4K

7.42%

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

$28.33 $28.33

$39.48 $39.48

-28.24%

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

$18.08 $18.08

$13.57 $13.57

33.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.84 $28.84

$31.19 $31.19

-7.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.86 $42.86

$29.46 $29.46

45.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 $17.92

$14.80 $14.80

21.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$7.18 $7.18

-5.99%

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

$750 $750

$253 $253

196.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,967 $8,967

$5,750 $5,750

55.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 $69.7

$55.7 $55.7

25.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.06 $49.06

$43.02 $43.02

14.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$98.0 $98.0

14.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$75.9 $75.9

44.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 $548

$340 $340

61.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 $362

$314 $314

15.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 $1,126

$633 $633

78.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 $637

$499 $499

27.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,654 $1,654

$1,218 $1,218

35.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 $664

$998 $998

-33.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 $606

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

1.20%

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

Last update for Quito: October 25, 2026

Last update for the Galapagos Islands: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$362 35.6%

Galapagos Islands

$314 35.5% 13.3% $48

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$192 18.9%

Galapagos Islands

$184 20.9% 3.9% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Galapagos Islands

$123 13.9% 20% $31

Eating Out

Quito

$145 14.3%

Galapagos Islands

$103 11.7% 28.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.4%

Galapagos Islands

$84 9.5% 11.9% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$56 5.6%

Galapagos Islands

$44 5% 22.2% $13

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Galapagos Islands

$32 3.6% 0.6% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $548 in Quito versus $340 in the Galapagos Islands. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito versus $28 in the Galapagos Islands. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $184 – making Galapagos Islands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Galapagos Islands

🕒 Local time

03:19 3:19 AM

02:19 2:19 AM

1 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

32,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Quito Galapagos Islands 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Galapagos Islands

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 Galapagos Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,015 in Quito, $884 in the Galapagos Islands – Galapagos Islands comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Quito and $1,326 in the Galapagos Islands. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in the Galapagos Islands, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $548 in Quito.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Quito, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito and $28 in the Galapagos Islands. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,015 in Quito and $884 in the Galapagos Islands, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward the Galapagos Islands – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.