Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Los Cabos

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $1,371 in Los Cabos, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Los Cabos
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Los Cabos Living Index

Jump to prices

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Los Cabos

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Los Cabos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Quito versus $1,371 in Los Cabos.

Quito $978
Los Cabos $1,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Quito versus $2,211 in Los Cabos.

Quito $1,586
Los Cabos $2,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Quito versus $3,051 in Los Cabos.

Quito $2,194
Los Cabos $3,051

Living in Quito costs roughly 29% less than in Los Cabos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 28% below, Los Cabos is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$22.30 MX$412

-72.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$43.70 MX$807

26.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$13.76 MX$254

-44.69%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$5.22 MX$96.5

-34.87%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$2.30 MX$42.51

-40.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.06 MX$38.06

-47.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$4.99 MX$92.2

-31.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$8.36 MX$154

-27.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.65 MX$30.46

-30.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.86 MX$52.8

-44.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.38 MX$44.07

-33.61%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$2.41 MX$44.49

-12.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$8.96 MX$166

-26.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$9.56 MX$177

-42.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$17.76 MX$328

-56.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.13 MX$76.4

-45.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.78 MX$32.89

-33.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.93 MX$54.2

-54.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.53 MX$46.70

-55.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.34 MX$43.16

-47.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.53 MX$46.73

-59.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.24 MX$22.99

-25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.86 MX$15.94

22.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$4.52 MX$83.6

36.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$10.32 MX$191

-2.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.61 MX$29.70

-1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.13 MX$57.8

-1.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$1.41 MX$25.98

-74.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.66 MX$49.20

-42.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.93 MX$35.59

-22.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$11.63 MX$215

-15.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.38 MX$25.43

-41.30%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.0K MX$388.2K

1.18%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$24.3K MX$449.9K

14.58%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$58.6 MX$1,083

-50.93%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$27.70 MX$512

-35.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$24.59 MX$454

14.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$34.48 MX$637

33.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$20.05 MX$371

-11.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$4.28 MX$79.1

48.13%

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

$739 $739

$215 MX$3,971

243.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$4,652 MX$86.0K

91.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$93.3 MX$1,724

-23.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$40.63 MX$751

24.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$124 MX$2,298

-8.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$89.7 MX$1,657

19.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$612 MX$11.3K

-19.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$391 MX$7,226

-21.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$1,044 MX$19.3K

-10.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$781 MX$14.4K

-30.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$1,933 MX$35.7K

-9.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$1,131 MX$20.9K

-36.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

$811 MX$15.0K

-26.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

11.3

-10.44%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

Los Cabos

$391 28.5% 26.6% $82

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

Los Cabos

$310 22.6% 56.7% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

Los Cabos

$157 11.4% 1.5% $2.3

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

Los Cabos

$341 24.9% 125% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

Los Cabos

$111 8.1% 48.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Los Cabos

$43 3.1% 26.8% $16

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

Los Cabos

$18 * 1.3% 43.6% $14

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 $612 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 37% 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 $44.00 in Los Cabos. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $310, with Quito cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇲🇽 Los Cabos

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

08:55 8:55 AM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

202,694

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Quito Los Cabos 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Los Cabos

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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Los Cabos. 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 $612 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Los Cabos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $978 per month in Quito versus $1,371 in Los Cabos – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $978 in Quito versus $1,371 in Los Cabos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Los Cabos. 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 Los Cabos, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Los Cabos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.