Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Great Falls, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,223 in Great Falls, MT, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Quito, Ecuador
Great Falls, MT, United States
Quito
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$1,014
/mo nomad
Great Falls, MT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Quito vs $2,223 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

  • Quito $1,014
  • Great Falls, MT $2,223

A couple spends around $1,641 per month in Quito vs $3,105 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

  • Quito $1,641
  • Great Falls, MT $3,105

A family of three spends $2,269 per month in Quito vs $3,987 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

  • Quito $2,269
  • Great Falls, MT $3,987

Quito is about 54% cheaper than Great Falls, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 25% below the global median, while Great Falls, MT is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quito
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.55 $5.55
$15.08 $15.08
-63.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.6 $54.6
$39.24 $39.24
39.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.63 $7.63
$9.70 $9.70
-21.34%
Cappuccino
$3.33 $3.33
$4.38 $4.38
-23.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 $1.36
$2.45 $2.45
-44.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.95 $1.95
-41.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.69 $3.69
$5.97 $5.97
-38.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.16 $6.16
$6.09 $6.09
1.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quito
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 $1.15
$1.11 $1.11
3.60%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 $1.61
$3.33 $3.33
-51.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$5.00 $5.00
-69.80%
Eggs
$2.15 $2.15
$3.27 $3.27
-34.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.47 $6.47
$16.62 $16.62
-61.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.33 $5.33
$10.19 $10.19
-47.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.77 $7.77
$12.15 $12.15
-36.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.23 $2.23
$4.96 $4.96
-55.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.40 $1.40
-11.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.27 $1.27
$4.14 $4.14
-69.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.08 $1.08
$2.21 $2.21
-51.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 $1.24
$2.39 $2.39
-48.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 $1.06
$2.91 $2.91
-63.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.91 $0.91
$2.40 $2.40
-62.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 $0.98
$3.27 $3.27
-70.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.95 $5.95
$8.47 $8.47
-29.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.35 $8.35
$17.94 $17.94
-53.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 $1.52
$2.01 $2.01
-24.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 $3.20
$4.43 $4.43
-27.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Quito
Great Falls, MT
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 $0.33
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.42 $21.42
$29.78 $29.78
-28.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 $1.53
$6.16 $6.16
-75.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.35 $1.35
13.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.01 $10.01
$39.70 $39.70
-74.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 $0.85
$0.98 $0.98
-13.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.7K $22.7K
$32.7K $32.7K
-30.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.6K $29.6K
$24.1K $24.1K
22.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quito
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$28.99 $28.99
$131 $131
-77.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.94 $17.94
$39.45 $39.45
-54.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.85 $28.85
$68.4 $68.4
-57.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quito
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 $45.09
$63.4 $63.4
-28.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.78 $17.78
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.75 $6.75
$11.57 $11.57
-41.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quito
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$743 $743
$927 $927
-19.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,223 $8,223
$17.7K $17.7K
-53.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quito
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.8 $69.8
$25.14 $25.14
177.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.3 $50.3
$29.60 $29.60
70.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 $113
$80.7 $80.7
39.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$64.4 $64.4
65.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quito
Great Falls, MT
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$542 $542
$1,420 $1,420
-61.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$354 $354
$1,111 $1,111
-68.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,141 $1,141
$2,626 $2,626
-56.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$638 $638
$1,655 $1,655
-61.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,636 $1,636
$2,207 $2,207
-25.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$663 $663
$2,205 $2,205
-69.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quito
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$603 $603
$3,555 $3,555
-83.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.12
6.2
63.23%

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Great Falls, MT: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Quito
$354
Great Falls, MT
$1.1K 214% $757
Groceries & Markets
Quito
$193
Great Falls, MT
$392 104% $200
Clothing & Footwear
Quito
$153
Great Falls, MT
$90 41.2% $63
Eating Out
Quito
$148
Great Falls, MT
$262 76.8% $114
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quito
$76
Great Falls, MT
$239 215% $163
Sport & Entertainment
Quito
$59
Great Falls, MT
$87 47.7% $28
Getting Around
Quito
$32
Great Falls, MT
$43 * 33.6% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $542 in Quito versus $1,420 in Great Falls, MT. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Great Falls, MT are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito versus $39 in Great Falls, MT. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Quito vs $392 in Great Falls, MT – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Quito
🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT
🕒 Local time
05:08 5:08 AM
03:08 3:08 AM
2 h behind Quito
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,671,191 Capital
60,442
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quito Great Falls, MT 6,180 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Quito
  • Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Quito or Great Falls, MT?
Great Falls, MT costs about 119% more than Quito, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Quito and in Great Falls, MT?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,521 per month in Quito and $3,334 in Great Falls, MT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Quito or Great Falls, MT?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $542 there versus $1,420 in Great Falls, MT.
Are groceries more expensive in Quito or in Great Falls, MT?
Groceries cost about 104% more in Great Falls, MT, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Quito and in Great Falls, MT?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito and $39 in Great Falls, MT. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Quito or in Great Falls, MT?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Great Falls, MT at $2,223. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Great Falls, MT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Should I move to Quito or to Great Falls, MT?
If budget matters most, go with Quito. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Great Falls, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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