Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and La Libertad

For one person, living is cheaper in La Libertad: $794 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in La Libertad
Learn more

La Libertad Living Index

Jump to prices

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

La Libertad

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in La Libertad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,015 in Quito versus $794 in La Libertad.

Quito $1,015
La Libertad $794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,636 in Quito versus $1,328 in La Libertad.

Quito $1,636
La Libertad $1,328

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,258 in Quito versus $1,863 in La Libertad.

Quito $2,258
La Libertad $1,863

Living in Quito is roughly 28% more expensive than in La Libertad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quito 25% lower, La Libertad 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 $5.41

$3.21 $3.21

68.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 $55.2

$47.15 $47.15

16.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 $7.66

$5.64 $5.64

35.82%

Cappuccino

$3.31 $3.31

$2.65 $2.65

24.91%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$0.86 $0.86

58.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.74 $0.74

47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.31 $2.31

49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.24 $4.24

37.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.08 $1.08

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.63 $1.63

-4.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$2.07 $2.07

4.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$6.47 $6.47

-0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.24 $5.24

-0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 $7.66

$7.42 $7.42

3.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.87 $1.87

25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.13 $1.13

6.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.13 $1.13

12.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.97 $0.97

15.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.06 $1.06

12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.92 $0.92

10.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.75 $0.75

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.11 $1.11

-9.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 $6.14

$5.72 $5.72

7.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 $8.62

$7.51 $7.51

14.78%

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

$2.90 $2.90

6.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 $21.34

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.34 $1.34

8.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.18 $1.18

30.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.07 $10.07

$11.36 $11.36

-11.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.79 $0.79

8.86%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$22.0K $22.0K

6.28%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$33.9K $33.9K

-10.03%

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

$28.33 $28.33

$34.39 $34.39

-17.62%

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

$18.08 $18.08

$12.80 $12.80

41.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.84 $28.84

$25.45 $25.45

13.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.86 $42.86

$33.93 $33.93

26.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 $17.92

$14.33 $14.33

25.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$5.99 $5.99

12.69%

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

$750 $750

$287 $287

161.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,967 $8,967

$6,343 $6,343

41.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 $69.7

$55.0 $55.0

26.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.06 $49.06

$42.85 $42.85

14.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$104 $104

8.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$76.0 $76.0

44.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 $548

$376 $376

46.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 $362

$256 $256

41.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 $1,126

$837 $837

34.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 $637

$527 $527

20.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,654 $1,654

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 $664

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 $606

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

10.09

0.30%

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

Last update for Quito: October 25, 2026

Last update for La Libertad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$362 35.6%

La Libertad

$256 32.2% 29.3% $106

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$192 18.9%

La Libertad

$185 23.3% 3.6% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

La Libertad

$125 15.8% 18.5% $28

Eating Out

Quito

$145 14.3%

La Libertad

$101 12.7% 30.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.4%

La Libertad

$73 9.2% 3.5% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$56 5.6%

La Libertad

$46 5.8% 18.5% $10

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

La Libertad

$8.7 * 1.1% 72.9% $23

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 $548 in Quito and $376 in La Libertad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Quito vs $47 in La Libertad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $185 per month, with La Libertad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 La Libertad

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

75,881

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quito La Libertad 350 km

From you

Quito
La Libertad

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 La Libertad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Libertad is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,522 in Quito and $1,190 in La Libertad 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: $548 in Quito versus $376 in La Libertad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $750 in Quito versus $287 in La Libertad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in La Libertad – a meal for two runs $47 versus $55 in Quito. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $794 in La Libertad versus $1,015 in Quito, a $1,000 budget is realistic in La Libertad but tight or insufficient in Quito. The gap between the two cities makes La Libertad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, La Libertad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Quito, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.