Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and New Westminster

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $2,526 in New Westminster, 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 New Westminster
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New Westminster Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

New Westminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in New Westminster

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

A single person spends $978 per month in Quito vs $2,526 in New Westminster, rent included.

Quito $978
New Westminster $2,526

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Quito vs $3,900 in New Westminster, rent included.

Quito $1,586
New Westminster $3,900

A family of three spends $2,194 per month in Quito vs $5,273 in New Westminster, rent included.

Quito $2,194
New Westminster $5,273

Quito is about 61% cheaper than New Westminster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 28% below the global median, while New Westminster is 87% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$19.28 CA$27.41

-68.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$49.65 CA$70.6

11.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$10.12 CA$14.39

-24.80%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$3.47 CA$4.93

-2.02%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$1.85 CA$2.63

-25.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.55 CA$2.20

-29.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$5.77 CA$8.21

-40.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.63 CA$8.00

7.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.76 CA$2.50

-35.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.34 CA$3.32

-31.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.45 CA$4.90

-54.20%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$3.01 CA$4.28

-29.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$10.80 CA$15.35

-39.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$15.33 CA$21.80

-64.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$26.67 CA$37.92

-71.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.77 CA$5.37

-40.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.48 CA$2.10

-19.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$3.60 CA$5.12

-63.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$3.66 CA$5.20

-69.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.33 CA$3.32

-46.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.21 CA$3.15

-53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.33 CA$3.31

-60.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.80 CA$2.57

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$15.33 CA$21.80

-59.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$10.63 CA$15.12

-5.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.02 CA$2.87

-21.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.72 CA$3.87

13.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$2.52 CA$3.58

-85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

$90.3 CA$128

-76.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.05 CA$2.91

-25.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.72 CA$2.44

-13.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$22.76 CA$32.35

-56.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.26 CA$1.79

-35.71%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.9K CA$33.9K

-10.92%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$19.0K CA$27.0K

46.89%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$139 CA$197

-79.27%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$42.09 CA$59.9

-57.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$63.0 CA$89.6

-55.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$32.42 CA$46.09

42.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$17.27 CA$24.55

2.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$11.94 CA$16.97

-46.90%

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

$739 $739

$758 CA$1,078

-2.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$8,536 CA$12.1K

4.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$52.3 CA$74.3

35.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$41.77 CA$59.4

20.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$77.5 CA$110

47.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$96.6 CA$137

11.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$1,548 CA$2,201

-68.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$1,319 CA$1,876

-76.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$2,841 CA$4,039

-67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$2,620 CA$3,725

-79.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$4,810 CA$6,839

-63.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$4,025 CA$5,723

-82.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

$2,989 CA$4,250

-80.14%

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 10, 2026

Last update for New Westminster: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

New Westminster

$1.3K 52.2% 327% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

New Westminster

$396 15.7% 99.8% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

New Westminster

$121 4.8% 21.8% $34

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

New Westminster

$280 11.1% 84.9% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

New Westminster

$244 9.7% 226% $169

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

New Westminster

$56 2.2% 4.2% $2.5

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

New Westminster

$111 4.4% 249% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $491 in Quito versus $1,548 in New Westminster. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 403% higher in New Westminster, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Quito versus $50.0 in New Westminster. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Quito vs $396 in New Westminster – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇦 New Westminster

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

17:36 5:36 PM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

58,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Quito New Westminster 6,930 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
New Westminster

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 New Westminster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Westminster costs about 158% 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 $3,790 in New Westminster. 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.

Kindergarten costs $739 per month in Quito and $758 in New Westminster. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 100% more in New Westminster, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in New Westminster at $2,526. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Westminster it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quito costs $978 versus $2,526 in New Westminster. 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, New Westminster makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.