Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Nakusp

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $2,337 in Nakusp, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Nakusp
Learn more

Nakusp Living Index

Jump to prices

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Nakusp

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Nakusp

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

A single person spends $978 per month in Quito vs $2,337 in Nakusp, rent included.

Quito $978
Nakusp $2,337

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Quito vs $3,158 in Nakusp, rent included.

Quito $1,586
Nakusp $3,158

A family of three spends $2,194 per month in Quito vs $3,979 in Nakusp, rent included.

Quito $2,194
Nakusp $3,979

Quito is about 58% cheaper than Nakusp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 28% below the global median, while Nakusp is 73% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$15.44 CA$21.83

-60.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$74.2 CA$105

-25.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$9.41 CA$13.31

-19.13%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$3.24 CA$4.58

4.94%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$1.75 CA$2.48

-21.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.47 CA$2.07

-25.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$5.58 CA$7.89

-38.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.21 CA$7.36

16.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.00 CA$2.82

-43.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.52 CA$3.56

-36.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.28 CA$4.64

-51.83%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$3.34 CA$4.73

-36.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$9.67 CA$13.68

-31.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$11.30 CA$15.98

-51.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$14.55 CA$20.57

-47.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.66 CA$5.18

-38.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.27 CA$1.80

-6.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$3.68 CA$5.20

-63.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$3.80 CA$5.37

-70.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.41 CA$3.41

-48.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.22 CA$3.14

-54.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.47 CA$3.49

-62.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.62 CA$2.30

-35.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$14.26 CA$20.16

-56.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$12.67 CA$17.91

-20.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.25 CA$3.19

-29.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.99 CA$4.22

3.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$2.53 CA$3.58

-85.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

$52.4 CA$74.1

-59.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.60 CA$3.68

-41.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.35 CA$1.91

10.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$20.65 CA$29.20

-52.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.99 CA$1.40

-18.18%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$24.9K CA$35.3K

-14.80%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

47.82%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$135 CA$191

-78.70%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$33.66 CA$47.59

-46.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$54.3 CA$76.7

-48.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$40.10 CA$56.7

14.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$17.19 CA$24.30

3.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$10.68 CA$15.10

-40.64%

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

$739 $739

$663 CA$937

11.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$11.3K CA$16.0K

-21.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$53.2 CA$75.2

33.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$38.65 CA$54.6

30.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$76.3 CA$108

49.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$93.0 CA$131

15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$1,425 CA$2,015

-65.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$1,277 CA$1,805

-75.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$1,867 CA$2,639

-50.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$1,526 CA$2,157

-64.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$4,630 CA$6,546

-62.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$3,526 CA$4,984

-79.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

4.66

117.17%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nakusp: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

Nakusp

$1.3K 54.6% 314% $968

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

Nakusp

$344 14.7% 73.8% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

Nakusp

$118 5% 23.8% $37

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

Nakusp

$242 10.4% 59.7% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

Nakusp

$223 9.5% 198% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Nakusp

$61 2.6% 4.6% $2.7

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

Nakusp

$72 3.1% 126% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $491 in Quito versus $1,425 in Nakusp. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Quito versus $74.0 in Nakusp. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $344 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇦 Nakusp

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

12:12 12:12 PM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

1,706

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quito Nakusp 6,730 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Nakusp

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 Nakusp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nakusp costs about 139% more than Quito, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,467 per month in Quito and $3,505 in Nakusp. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Quito and $74.0 in Nakusp. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $978 in Quito and $2,337 in Nakusp. That's a gap of about 139%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Nakusp at $2,337. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nakusp it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quito costs $978 versus $2,337 in Nakusp. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Quito. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nakusp makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.