Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Lacey, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $2,713 in Lacey, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Lacey, WA
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Lacey, WA Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Lacey, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Lacey, WA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Quito versus $2,713 in Lacey, WA.

Quito $978
Lacey, WA $2,713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Quito versus $3,810 in Lacey, WA.

Quito $1,586
Lacey, WA $3,810

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Quito versus $4,907 in Lacey, WA.

Quito $2,194
Lacey, WA $4,907

Living in Quito costs roughly 64% less than in Lacey, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 28% below, Lacey, WA is 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$25.13 $25.13

-75.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$70.8 $70.8

-21.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$14.98 $14.98

-49.20%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$6.75 $6.75

-49.63%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$3.27 $3.27

-58.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.94 $2.94

-62.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$8.14 $8.14

-57.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$8.14 $8.14

-25.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.11 $1.11

2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$4.61 $4.61

-65.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.17 $3.17

-50.16%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$5.06 $5.06

-58.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$18.05 $18.05

-63.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$10.77 $10.77

-48.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$16.60 $16.60

-53.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$5.07 $5.07

-55.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.66 $1.66

-28.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$4.07 $4.07

-67.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$4.66 $4.66

-75.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.69 $2.69

-53.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.43 $2.43

-58.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.87 $2.87

-67.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.46 $2.46

-57.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$12.53 $12.53

-50.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$15.10 $15.10

-33.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.39 $2.39

-33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.32 $2.32

33.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$2.23 $2.23

-83.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.64 $2.64

-42.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.71 $1.71

-12.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$29.77 $29.77

-66.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.36 $1.36

-40.44%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$36.5K $36.5K

-41.72%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

7.21%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$217 $217

-86.76%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$69.5 $69.5

-74.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$93.5 $93.5

-69.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$42.35 $42.35

8.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$12.71 $12.71

-50.12%

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

$739 $739

$1,456 $1,456

-49.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$31.2K $31.2K

-71.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$44.47 $44.47

59.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$53.9 $53.9

-6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$88.5 $88.5

29.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$100 $100

6.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$1,674 $1,674

-70.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$1,283 $1,283

-75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$2,816 $2,816

-66.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$1,842 $1,842

-70.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$3,007 $3,007

-41.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$2,138 $2,138

-66.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

$4,295 $4,295

-86.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.81

48.60%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lacey, WA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

Lacey, WA

$1.3K 47.3% 316% $974

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

Lacey, WA

$424 15.6% 114% $226

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

Lacey, WA

$129 4.8% 16.2% $25

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

Lacey, WA

$409 15.1% 170% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

Lacey, WA

$380 14% 408% $305

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Lacey, WA

$68 2.5% 15.3% $9

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

Lacey, WA

$20 * 0.7% 36.7% $12

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 $491 in Quito and $1,674 in Lacey, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lacey, WA pays 623% 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: $55.0 in Quito vs $71.0 in Lacey, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $424 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 Lacey, WA

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

14:45 2:45 PM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

53,526

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quito Lacey, WA 6,780 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Lacey, WA

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 Lacey, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 177% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 623% lower in Lacey, WA. 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: $491 in Quito versus $1,674 in Lacey, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $739 in Quito versus $1,456 in Lacey, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quito – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $71.0 in Lacey, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $978 in Quito versus $2,713 in Lacey, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Lacey, WA. 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 Lacey, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Quito and Lacey, WA 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 177% less than in Lacey, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.