Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Ibarra

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibarra: $664 a month against $1,014 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Ibarra
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Ibarra Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Ibarra

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Ibarra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Quito versus $664 in Ibarra.

Quito $1,014
Ibarra $664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,641 in Quito versus $1,152 in Ibarra.

Quito $1,641
Ibarra $1,152

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,269 in Quito versus $1,639 in Ibarra.

Quito $2,269
Ibarra $1,639

Living in Quito is roughly 53% more expensive than in Ibarra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quito 25% lower, Ibarra 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 $5.55

$2.66 $2.66

108.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$25.40 $25.40

115.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 $7.63

$5.88 $5.88

29.76%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$2.23 $2.23

49.33%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$1.05 $1.05

29.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.56 $0.56

103.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.98 $1.98

86.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.27 $2.27

171.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.99 $0.99

16.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.02 $1.02

57.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.46 $1.46

3.42%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$2.13 $2.13

0.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$3.79 $3.79

70.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$7.76 $7.76

0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.01 $2.01

10.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.20 $1.20

3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.33 $1.33

-4.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.92 $0.92

17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.48 $0.48

158.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.02 $1.02

3.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.70 $0.70

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.03 $1.03

-4.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 $5.95

$3.02 $3.02

97.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 $8.35

$8.73 $8.73

-4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.53 $1.53

-0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.15 $3.15

1.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.37 $0.37

-10.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.52 $1.52

0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.47 $1.47

4.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$9.82 $9.82

1.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.69 $0.69

23.19%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$22.9K $22.9K

-0.96%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$30.0K $30.0K

-1.26%

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

$28.99 $28.99

$28.33 $28.33

2.33%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$14.95 $14.95

20.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 $28.85

$18.29 $18.29

57.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 $45.09

$29.75 $29.75

51.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

$16.24 $16.24

9.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$6.64 $6.64

1.66%

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

$743 $743

$111 $111

567.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,223 $8,223

$8,911 $8,911

-7.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$59.7 $59.7

16.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$45.20 $45.20

11.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$91.6 $91.6

23.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$50.6 $50.6

111.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 $542

$228 $228

137.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

$178 $178

98.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$817 $817

39.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$508 $508

25.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

$759 $759

115.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 $663

$625 $625

6.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 $603

0.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ibarra: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$354 34.9%

Ibarra

$178 26.9% 49.7% $176

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$193 19%

Ibarra

$173 26.1% 10.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Ibarra

$111 16.7% 27.3% $42

Eating Out

Quito

$148 14.6%

Ibarra

$87 13% 41.6% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$76 7.5%

Ibarra

$62 9.3% 18.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 5.8%

Ibarra

$43 6.5% 26.6% $16

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Ibarra

$10 * 1.6% 67.7% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Quito and $228 in Ibarra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Quito vs $25 in Ibarra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $173 per month, with Ibarra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Ibarra

🕒 Local time

17:02 5:02 PM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

108,666

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quito Ibarra 77 km

From you

Quito
Ibarra

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 Ibarra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibarra wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Quito. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ibarra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,521 in Quito and $996 in Ibarra to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $542 in Quito versus $228 in Ibarra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $743 in Quito versus $111 in Ibarra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibarra – a meal for two runs $25 versus $55 in Quito. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $664 in Ibarra versus $1,014 in Quito, a $800 budget is realistic in Ibarra but tight or insufficient in Quito. The gap between the two cities makes Ibarra 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.