Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Nanaimo, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $2,349 in Nanaimo, BC, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 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
112

Cost of Living Index in Nanaimo, BC
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Nanaimo, BC Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Nanaimo, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Nanaimo, BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $979 in Quito versus $2,349 in Nanaimo, BC.

Quito $979
Nanaimo, BC $2,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,607 in Quito versus $3,389 in Nanaimo, BC.

Quito $1,607
Nanaimo, BC $3,389

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,234 in Quito versus $4,429 in Nanaimo, BC.

Quito $2,234
Nanaimo, BC $4,429

Living in Quito costs roughly 58% less than in Nanaimo, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 27% below, Nanaimo, BC is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 $6.14

$17.51 CA$24.96

-64.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$76.6 CA$109

-29.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$11.37 CA$16.21

-31.31%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$3.81 CA$5.43

-10.24%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$2.21 CA$3.14

-34.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.61 CA$2.30

-29.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 $3.48

$5.46 CA$7.78

-36.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$5.53 CA$7.88

6.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.62 CA$2.31

-29.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.36 CA$4.79

-54.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.06 CA$4.36

-50.65%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$4.15 CA$5.92

-47.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$11.23 CA$16.00

-43.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$13.10 CA$18.68

-58.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$16.74 CA$23.86

-53.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$4.64 CA$6.62

-49.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.28 CA$1.82

-3.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$4.16 CA$5.92

-68.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$5.82 CA$8.30

-80.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.72 CA$3.87

-55.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.84 CA$4.05

-64.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.84 CA$4.05

-67.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.28 CA$3.26

-53.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 $6.02

$12.15 CA$17.32

-50.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$14.15 CA$20.17

-29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.72 CA$3.87

-41.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.67 CA$3.80

15.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$1.84 CA$2.62

-79.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

$44.74 CA$63.8

-53.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.75 CA$3.93

-44.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.12 CA$3.02

-27.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$28.48 CA$40.59

-64.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.31 CA$1.87

-33.59%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$27.8K CA$39.6K

-24.48%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$19.3K CA$27.6K

47.70%

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

$28.97 $28.97

$151 CA$216

-80.86%

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

$17.57 $17.57

$40.28 CA$57.4

-56.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 $28.14

$63.9 CA$91.1

-55.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 $46.48

$27.48 CA$39.17

69.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

$18.61 CA$26.53

-4.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 $6.38

$10.94 CA$15.60

-41.68%

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

$746 $746

$515 CA$734

44.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,015 $9,015

$12.9K CA$18.4K

-30.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$48.90 CA$69.7

40.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$33.57 CA$47.86

49.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$98.9 CA$141

18.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$107 CA$153

1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 $478

$1,371 CA$1,954

-65.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$1,123 CA$1,601

-72.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$2,121 CA$3,023

-54.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 $549

$1,699 CA$2,421

-67.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$3,831 CA$5,461

-53.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 $720

$3,462 CA$4,935

-79.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$3,148 CA$4,487

-81.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

4.72

114.41%

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

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nanaimo, BC: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$313 31.8%

Nanaimo, BC

$1.1K 48.8% 259% $810

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.1%

Nanaimo, BC

$405 17.6% 105% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$156 15.8%

Nanaimo, BC

$130 5.6% 16.5% $26

Eating Out

Quito

$153 15.5%

Nanaimo, BC

$274 11.9% 78.7% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

Nanaimo, BC

$256 11.1% 242% $181

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Nanaimo, BC

$49 2.1% 16.7% $9.9

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Nanaimo, BC

$65 2.8% 107% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $478 in Quito and $1,371 in Nanaimo, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanaimo, BC pays 428% 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: $54.0 in Quito vs $77.0 in Nanaimo, BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $405 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇦 Nanaimo, BC

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

04:46 4:46 AM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

90,504

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Quito Nanaimo, BC 6,990 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Nanaimo, BC

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 Nanaimo, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito wins on cost – living expenses run 140% lower than in Nanaimo, BC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quito the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 428% lower in Nanaimo, BC. 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: $478 in Quito versus $1,371 in Nanaimo, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Quito runs roughly 114% less than in Nanaimo, BC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $746 in Quito versus $515 in Nanaimo, BC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $979 in Quito versus $2,349 in Nanaimo, BC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Nanaimo, BC. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Quito delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $979 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Quito hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Quito and Nanaimo, BC are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Nanaimo, BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.