Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Mountain Home, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Quito, Ecuador
Mountain Home, ID, United States
Quito
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$1,014
/mo nomad
Mountain Home, ID
🇺🇸 United States
$2,720
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Quito versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID.

  • Quito $1,014
  • Mountain Home, ID $2,720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,641 in Quito versus $3,919 in Mountain Home, ID.

  • Quito $1,641
  • Mountain Home, ID $3,919

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,269 in Quito versus $5,118 in Mountain Home, ID.

  • Quito $2,269
  • Mountain Home, ID $5,118

Living in Quito costs roughly 63% less than in Mountain Home, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 25% below, Mountain Home, ID is 101% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quito
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.55 $5.55
$22.66 $22.66
-75.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.6 $54.6
$86.0 $86.0
-36.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.63 $7.63
$10.36 $10.36
-26.35%
Cappuccino
$3.33 $3.33
$4.60 $4.60
-27.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 $1.36
$2.77 $2.77
-50.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 $1.14
$2.07 $2.07
-44.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.69 $3.69
$5.37 $5.37
-31.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.16 $6.16
$8.25 $8.25
-25.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quito
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 $1.15
$1.00 $1.00
15.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 $1.61
$3.65 $3.65
-55.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$4.51 $4.51
-66.52%
Eggs
$2.15 $2.15
$4.08 $4.08
-47.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.47 $6.47
$12.37 $12.37
-47.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.33 $5.33
$11.93 $11.93
-55.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.77 $7.77
$16.77 $16.77
-53.67%
Apples (1kg)
$2.23 $2.23
$5.18 $5.18
-56.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.66 $1.66
-25.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.27 $1.27
$4.45 $4.45
-71.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.08 $1.08
$4.62 $4.62
-76.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 $1.24
$2.89 $2.89
-57.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 $1.06
$3.04 $3.04
-65.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.91 $0.91
$2.22 $2.22
-59.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 $0.98
$2.10 $2.10
-53.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.95 $5.95
$9.77 $9.77
-39.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.35 $8.35
$14.80 $14.80
-43.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.99 $1.99
-23.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 $3.20
$3.51 $3.51
-8.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Quito
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 $0.33
$1.79 $1.79
-81.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.42 $21.42
$65.0 $65.0
-67.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 $1.53
$3.67 $3.67
-58.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.83 $1.83
-16.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.01 $10.01
$30.85 $30.85
-67.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 $0.85
$1.19 $1.19
-28.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.7K $22.7K
$32.1K $32.1K
-29.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.6K $29.6K
$27.7K $27.7K
6.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quito
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$28.99 $28.99
$198 $198
-85.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.94 $17.94
$57.8 $57.8
-68.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.85 $28.85
$70.5 $70.5
-59.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quito
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 $45.09
$38.16 $38.16
18.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.78 $17.78
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.75 $6.75
$13.01 $13.01
-48.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quito
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$743 $743
$1,520 $1,520
-51.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,223 $8,223
$19.6K $19.6K
-57.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quito
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.8 $69.8
$51.8 $51.8
34.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.3 $50.3
$35.51 $35.51
41.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 $113
$102 $102
11.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$129 $129
-16.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quito
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$542 $542
$1,604 $1,604
-66.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$354 $354
$1,371 $1,371
-74.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,141 $1,141
$2,767 $2,767
-58.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$638 $638
$2,092 $2,092
-69.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,636 $1,636
$3,091 $3,091
-47.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$663 $663
$2,344 $2,344
-71.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quito
Mountain Home, ID
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$603 $603
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.12
6.59
53.57%

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Quito
$354
Mountain Home, ID
$1.4K 287% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Quito
$193
Mountain Home, ID
$400 108% $207
Clothing & Footwear
Quito
$153
Mountain Home, ID
$143 6.5% $10
Eating Out
Quito
$148
Mountain Home, ID
$330 123% $182
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quito
$76
Mountain Home, ID
$327 331% $251
Sport & Entertainment
Quito
$59
Mountain Home, ID
$64 9.5% $5.6
Getting Around
Quito
$32
Mountain Home, ID
$85 166% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Quito and $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Quito vs $86 in Mountain Home, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $400 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Quito
🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID
🕒 Local time
22:52 10:52 PM
20:52 8:52 PM
2 h behind Quito
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,671,191 Capital
11,656
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quito Mountain Home, ID 6,070 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Quito
  • Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quito cheaper than Mountain Home, ID?
Quito is about 63% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,521 in Quito and $4,079 in Mountain Home, ID 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.
What is the rent difference between Quito and Mountain Home, ID?
Rent for a central apartment: $542 in Quito versus $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Quito and in Mountain Home, ID?
All in, you’ll spend $1,014 per month in Quito versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID – Quito is about 63% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Quito runs roughly 67% less than in Mountain Home, ID. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Quito or in Mountain Home, ID?
At $1,014 in Quito versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Mountain Home, ID. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Quito or in Mountain Home, ID?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Mountain Home, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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