Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Merced, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $2,528 in Merced, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Merced, CA
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Merced, CA Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Merced, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Quito versus $2,528 in Merced, CA.

Quito $978
Merced, CA $2,528

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Quito versus $3,698 in Merced, CA.

Quito $1,586
Merced, CA $3,698

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Quito versus $4,868 in Merced, CA.

Quito $2,194
Merced, CA $4,868

Living in Quito costs roughly 61% less than in Merced, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 28% below, Merced, CA is 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$17.30 $17.30

-64.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$39.53 $39.53

40.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$12.13 $12.13

-37.26%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$5.67 $5.67

-40.04%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$2.47 $2.47

-44.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.47 $1.47

-25.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$9.15 $9.15

-62.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$10.14 $10.14

-40.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.24 $1.24

-8.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$4.33 $4.33

-63.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$4.18 $4.18

-62.20%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$5.69 $5.69

-62.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$19.30 $19.30

-65.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$14.22 $14.22

-61.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$21.62 $21.62

-64.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.45 $4.45

-49.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.03 $2.03

-41.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$5.41 $5.41

-75.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$5.36 $5.36

-78.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$3.49 $3.49

-64.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.96 $2.96

-65.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.44 $2.44

-62.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.57 $2.57

-59.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$11.89 $11.89

-48.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$15.78 $15.78

-36.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.42 $2.42

-34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.41 $3.41

-9.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$1.49 $1.49

-75.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

$59.9 $59.9

-64.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.05 $3.05

-49.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.66 $1.66

-10.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$26.51 $26.51

-62.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.32 $1.32

-38.64%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$37.3K $37.3K

-42.95%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

8.27%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$237 $237

-87.89%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$29.93 $29.93

-40.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$82.7 $82.7

-65.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$32.75 $32.75

40.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$14.11 $14.11

25.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$16.87 $16.87

-62.42%

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

$739 $739

$1,851 $1,851

-60.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$40.5K $40.5K

-78.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$59.9 $59.9

18.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$50.7 $50.7

-0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$100.0 $100.0

14.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$120 $120

-10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$1,638 $1,638

-70.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$1,082 $1,082

-71.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$2,012 $2,012

-53.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$1,905 $1,905

-71.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$2,890 $2,890

-39.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$2,896 $2,896

-75.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

$3,329 $3,329

-82.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.36

59.12%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Merced, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

Merced, CA

$1.1K 42.8% 250% $773

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

Merced, CA

$479 19% 142% $281

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

Merced, CA

$149 5.9% 3.7% $5.7

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

Merced, CA

$325 12.8% 114% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

Merced, CA

$350 13.9% 368% $275

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Merced, CA

$66 2.6% 13.1% $7.7

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

Merced, CA

$77 3.1% 143% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $491 in Quito and $1,638 in Merced, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Merced, CA pays 461% 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 $40.00 in Merced, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $479, with Quito cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

83,316

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Quito Merced, CA 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Merced, CA

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 Merced, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito and Merced, CA differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($978 vs $2,528 including rent). Quito is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 461% lower in Merced, CA. 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 $1,638 in Merced, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $739 in Quito versus $1,851 in Merced, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 142% higher in Merced, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $978 in Quito versus $2,528 in Merced, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Merced, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Quito 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.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Merced, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.