Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and La Paz

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,289 in La Paz, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in La Paz
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La Paz Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

La Paz

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $979 in Quito versus $1,289 in La Paz.

Quito $979
La Paz $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,607 in Quito versus $2,107 in La Paz.

Quito $1,607
La Paz $2,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,234 in Quito versus $2,926 in La Paz.

Quito $2,234
La Paz $2,926

Living in Quito costs roughly 24% less than in La Paz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quito 27% lower, La Paz 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 $6.14

$10.11 MX$184

-39.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$56.2 MX$1,022

-4.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$8.18 MX$149

-4.52%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$3.19 MX$58.1

7.21%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$1.77 MX$32.24

-18.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.00 MX$18.26

14.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.15 MX$39.17

61.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$5.71 MX$104

3.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.16 MX$39.36

-47.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.59 MX$47.13

-40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.25 MX$40.88

-32.89%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$2.48 MX$45.03

-12.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$11.99 MX$218

-46.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$8.53 MX$155

-35.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$11.21 MX$204

-30.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.43 MX$62.4

-32.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.28 MX$23.31

-3.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.95 MX$35.46

-32.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.83 MX$33.37

-37.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.03 MX$36.98

-40.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.13 MX$38.68

-52.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.48 MX$27.01

-37.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.38 MX$25.07

-23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 $6.02

$4.38 MX$79.7

37.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$17.12 MX$311

-42.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.31 MX$23.79

21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.88 MX$52.4

6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.68 MX$12.40

-45.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.61 MX$47.54

-41.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.04 MX$37.16

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$11.99 MX$218

-16.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.48 MX$26.83

-41.22%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$21.1K MX$383.6K

-0.50%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$24.6K MX$447.2K

16.13%

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

$28.97 $28.97

$62.8 MX$1,142

-53.85%

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

$17.57 $17.57

$25.84 MX$470

-32.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 $28.14

$32.75 MX$596

-14.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 $46.48

$34.76 MX$632

33.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

$20.51 MX$373

-13.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 $6.38

$5.23 MX$95.2

21.99%

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

$746 $746

$225 MX$4,102

231.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,015 $9,015

$4,619 MX$84.0K

95.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$58.5 MX$1,063

17.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$40.73 MX$741

23.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$74.5 MX$1,356

57.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$90.0 MX$1,637

21.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 $478

$814 MX$14.8K

-41.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$492 MX$8,945

-36.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$1,728 MX$31.4K

-44.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 $549

$1,052 MX$19.1K

-47.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$1,914 MX$34.8K

-7.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 $720

$1,163 MX$21.2K

-38.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$770 MX$14.0K

-22.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

11.6

-12.76%

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

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Last update for La Paz: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$313 31.8%

La Paz

$492 38.7% 57% $179

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.1%

La Paz

$300 23.6% 51.8% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$156 15.8%

La Paz

$119 9.4% 23.7% $37

Eating Out

Quito

$153 15.5%

La Paz

$177 14% 15.7% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

La Paz

$121 9.6% 62.5% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

La Paz

$45 3.6% 23.6% $14

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

La Paz

$16 * 1.2% 50.8% $16

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 $478 in Quito and $814 in La Paz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Paz pays 29% 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 $56.0 in La Paz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $300 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇲🇽 La Paz

🕒 Local time

05:23 5:23 AM

03:23 3:23 AM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

250,141

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.91 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 = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.38 MXN (100 MXN = 4.91 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quito La Paz 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
La Paz

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 Paz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in La Paz. 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 $814 in La Paz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in La Paz. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $979 per month in Quito versus $1,289 in La Paz – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $979 in Quito versus $1,289 in La Paz, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in La Paz. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Quito and La Paz 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 32% less than in La Paz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.