Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Loja

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $681 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$681

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Loja

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

A single person spends $1,015 per month in Quito vs $681 in Loja, rent included.

Quito $1,015
Loja $681

A couple spends around $1,636 per month in Quito vs $1,074 in Loja, rent included.

Quito $1,636
Loja $1,074

A family of three spends $2,258 per month in Quito vs $1,468 in Loja, rent included.

Quito $2,258
Loja $1,468

Quito costs about 49% more than Loja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Quito and Loja are more affordable than the global median – Quito 25% lower, Loja 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 $5.41

$3.05 $3.05

77.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 $55.2

$20.66 $20.66

166.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 $7.66

$5.61 $5.61

36.54%

Cappuccino

$3.31 $3.31

$2.22 $2.22

49.10%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$0.78 $0.78

74.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.43 $0.43

153.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.22 $1.22

183.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.23 $3.23

81.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.02 $1.02

6.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.48 $1.48

4.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.32 $1.32

18.18%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$1.92 $1.92

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$5.60 $5.60

15.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.29 $4.29

21.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 $7.66

$6.07 $6.07

26.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.69 $1.69

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.09 $1.09

10.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.20 $1.20

5.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.06 $1.06

12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.03 $1.03

-0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.52 $0.52

73.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.11 $1.11

-9.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 $6.14

$5.23 $5.23

17.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 $8.62

$6.82 $6.82

26.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.53 $1.53

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.93 $2.93

5.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.33 $0.33

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 $21.34

$30.52 $30.52

-30.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.24 $1.24

17.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.08 $1.08

42.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.07 $10.07

$9.86 $9.86

2.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.74 $0.74

16.22%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$15.0K $15.0K

55.10%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$28.5K $28.5K

6.93%

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

$28.33 $28.33

$19.98 $19.98

41.79%

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

$18.08 $18.08

$11.49 $11.49

57.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.84 $28.84

$27.07 $27.07

6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.86 $42.86

$29.70 $29.70

44.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 $17.92

$15.03 $15.03

19.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$7.26 $7.26

-7.02%

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

$750 $750

$180 $180

317.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,967 $8,967

$1,965 $1,965

356.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 $69.7

$52.8 $52.8

32.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.06 $49.06

$47.86 $47.86

2.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$79.9 $79.9

40.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$73.1 $73.1

49.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 $548

$240 $240

128.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 $362

$172 $172

109.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 $1,126

$377 $377

198.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 $637

$315 $315

102.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,654 $1,654

$559 $559

195.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 $664

$324 $324

105.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 $606

$506 $506

19.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

8.5

19.06%

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

Last update for Quito: October 25, 2026

Last update for Loja: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$362 35.6%

Loja

$172 25.3% 52.4% $189

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$192 18.9%

Loja

$168 24.6% 12.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Loja

$114 16.8% 25.5% $39

Eating Out

Quito

$145 14.3%

Loja

$85 12.5% 41.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.4%

Loja

$59 8.6% 22.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$56 5.6%

Loja

$44 6.5% 21.5% $12

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Loja

$38 5.7% 20.4% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $548 in Quito versus $240 in Loja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Quito, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito versus $21 in Loja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $168 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Loja

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

180,617

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quito Loja 430 km

From you

Quito
Loja

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 Loja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,015 in Quito, $681 in Loja – Loja comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Quito and $1,021 in Loja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Loja, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $240 there versus $548 in Quito.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $750 per month in Quito and $180 in Loja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,015 in Quito and $681 in Loja, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Loja – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Loja. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Quito makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.