Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $670 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Manta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,015 in Quito versus $670 in Manta.

Quito $1,015
Manta $670

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,636 in Quito versus $1,152 in Manta.

Quito $1,636
Manta $1,152

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,258 in Quito versus $1,634 in Manta.

Quito $2,258
Manta $1,634

Living in Quito is roughly 52% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quito 25% lower, Manta 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 $5.41

$3.04 $3.04

77.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 $55.2

$51.9 $51.9

6.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 $7.66

$5.18 $5.18

47.88%

Cappuccino

$3.31 $3.31

$2.81 $2.81

17.79%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$0.48 $0.48

183.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.42 $0.42

159.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.92 $2.92

18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.86 $3.86

51.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.98 $0.98

11.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.00 $2.00

-22.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.98 $0.98

59.18%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$2.11 $2.11

2.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$3.08 $3.08

109.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.07 $3.07

70.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 $7.66

$6.88 $6.88

11.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$0.97 $0.97

141.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.72 $0.72

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.73 $0.73

73.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.77 $0.77

45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$0.49 $0.49

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.49 $0.49

108.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.65 $0.65

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.02 $1.02

-1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.02 $4.02

52.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 $8.62

$6.81 $6.81

26.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.01 $1.01

56.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.22 $2.22

39.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.50 $0.50

-28.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 $21.34

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.79 $1.79

-18.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.77 $1.77

-12.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.07 $10.07

$9.28 $9.28

8.51%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

2.78%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

0.01%

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

$28.33 $28.33

$93.6 $93.6

-69.72%

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

$18.08 $18.08

$11.20 $11.20

61.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.84 $28.84

$26.03 $26.03

10.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.86 $42.86

$19.90 $19.90

115.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 $17.92

$35.50 $35.50

-49.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$5.10 $5.10

32.35%

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

$750 $750

$370 $370

102.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,967 $8,967

$5,708 $5,708

57.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 $69.7

$55.4 $55.4

25.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.06 $49.06

$39.90 $39.90

22.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$99.3 $99.3

13.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$62.1 $62.1

76.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 $548

$306 $306

79.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 $362

$137 $137

163.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 $1,126

$916 $916

22.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 $637

$337 $337

88.89%

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

$478 $478

26.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

10.05

0.70%

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

Last update for Quito: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manta: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$362 35.6%

Manta

$137 20.5% 62% $224

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$192 18.9%

Manta

$144 21.5% 25% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Manta

$116 17.3% 24.6% $38

Eating Out

Quito

$145 14.3%

Manta

$100 14.9% 31.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.4%

Manta

$131 19.5% 73.8% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$56 5.6%

Manta

$30 4.5% 46.6% $26

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Manta

$13 * 1.9% 60.6% $19

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 $306 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quito pays 27% 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 in Quito vs $52 in Manta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $144 per month, with Manta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

20:13 8:13 PM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

217,553

💱 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 Manta 260 km

From you

Quito
Manta

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Quito, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $548 in Quito versus $306 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $750 in Quito versus $370 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52 versus $55 in Quito. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $670 in Manta versus $1,015 in Quito, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Quito. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Manta wins on affordability, Quito on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.