Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Montanita

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $894 a month against $1,014 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Montanita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Quito versus $894 in Montanita.

Quito $1,014
Montanita $894

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,641 in Quito versus $1,349 in Montanita.

Quito $1,641
Montanita $1,349

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,269 in Quito versus $1,805 in Montanita.

Quito $2,269
Montanita $1,805

Living in Quito is roughly 13% more expensive than in Montanita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quito 25% lower, Montanita 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 $5.55

$3.45 $3.45

60.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$28.46 $28.46

91.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 $7.63

$7.47 $7.47

2.14%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$2.52 $2.52

32.14%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$0.87 $0.87

56.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.67 $0.67

70.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.05 $2.05

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.59 $3.59

71.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.09 $1.09

5.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.62 $1.62

-0.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.56 $1.56

-3.21%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$2.18 $2.18

-1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$5.60 $5.60

15.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$5.46 $5.46

-2.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$6.14 $6.14

26.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.08 $2.08

7.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.20 $1.20

3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.08 $1.08

17.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.09 $1.09

-0.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.44 $1.44

-13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.08 $1.08

-1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.48 $0.48

89.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.99 $0.99

-1.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 $5.95

$6.18 $6.18

-3.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 $8.35

$9.87 $9.87

-15.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.44 $2.44

31.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.34 $0.34

-2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

$23.63 $23.63

-9.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.47 $1.47

4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.99 $0.99

54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$9.96 $9.96

0.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.63 $0.63

34.92%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$24.7K $24.7K

-7.96%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$28.5K $28.5K

3.82%

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

$28.99 $28.99

$39.32 $39.32

-26.27%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$13.65 $13.65

31.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 $28.85

$30.74 $30.74

-6.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 $45.09

$30.35 $30.35

48.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

$14.74 $14.74

20.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$7.39 $7.39

-8.66%

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

$743 $743

$254 $254

192.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,223 $8,223

$5,701 $5,701

44.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$56.1 $56.1

24.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$43.64 $43.64

15.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$99.0 $99.0

13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$75.9 $75.9

40.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 $542

$342 $342

58.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

$322 $322

10.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$632 $632

80.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$507 $507

25.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

$1,259 $1,259

29.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 $663

$1,013 $1,013

-34.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 $603

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

1.20%

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Montanita: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$354 34.9%

Montanita

$322 36% 9.2% $33

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$193 19%

Montanita

$184 20.6% 4.3% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Montanita

$124 13.8% 19.2% $29

Eating Out

Quito

$148 14.6%

Montanita

$104 11.6% 29.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$76 7.5%

Montanita

$84 9.4% 10.5% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 5.8%

Montanita

$45 5.1% 23% $13

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Montanita

$31 3.5% 1.8% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Quito and $342 in Montanita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Quito vs $28 in Montanita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $184 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Montanita

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

5,000

💱 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 Montanita 310 km

From you

Quito
Montanita

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 Montanita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montanita is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,521 in Quito and $1,341 in Montanita to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $542 in Quito versus $342 in Montanita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $743 in Quito versus $254 in Montanita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Quito. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $894 in Montanita versus $1,014 in Quito, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Montanita but tight or insufficient in Quito. The gap between the two cities makes Montanita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montanita is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Quito, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.