Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and North Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $2,736 in North Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 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
134

Cost of Living Index in North Vancouver
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North Vancouver Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

North Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in North Vancouver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Quito versus $2,736 in North Vancouver.

Quito $978
North Vancouver $2,736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Quito versus $4,277 in North Vancouver.

Quito $1,586
North Vancouver $4,277

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Quito versus $5,818 in North Vancouver.

Quito $2,194
North Vancouver $5,818

Living in Quito costs roughly 64% less than in North Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 28% below, North Vancouver is 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$20.85 CA$29.48

-70.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$62.3 CA$88.1

-10.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$9.03 CA$12.76

-15.73%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$4.18 CA$5.90

-18.66%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$2.23 CA$3.15

-38.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.74 CA$2.45

-37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$4.80 CA$6.79

-28.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.82 CA$8.22

4.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.00 CA$2.82

-43.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.77 CA$3.92

-42.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.37 CA$4.76

-53.12%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$3.23 CA$4.57

-34.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$13.61 CA$19.23

-51.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$13.55 CA$19.16

-59.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$15.52 CA$21.94

-50.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.07 CA$5.75

-44.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.45 CA$2.05

-17.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$4.23 CA$5.97

-68.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$3.97 CA$5.62

-71.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.76 CA$3.91

-55.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.83 CA$4.00

-63.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.68 CA$3.79

-65.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.11 CA$2.98

-50.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$14.04 CA$19.85

-56.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$14.06 CA$19.88

-28.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.09 CA$2.95

-24.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.79 CA$3.94

10.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$2.87 CA$4.05

-87.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

$98.6 CA$139

-78.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.57 CA$3.63

-40.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.49 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$27.23 CA$38.49

-63.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.29 CA$1.82

-37.21%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$28.3K CA$39.9K

-24.77%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

47.50%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$128 CA$182

-77.61%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$37.29 CA$52.7

-52.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$51.5 CA$72.8

-45.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$29.86 CA$42.21

54.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$23.65 CA$33.43

-24.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$11.85 CA$16.75

-46.50%

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

$739 $739

$1,049 CA$1,483

-29.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$10.5K CA$14.8K

-14.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$62.3 CA$88.0

14.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$37.14 CA$52.5

35.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$80.3 CA$114

42.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$110 CA$155

-2.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$1,759 CA$2,487

-72.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$1,530 CA$2,163

-79.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$3,049 CA$4,310

-69.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$3,089 CA$4,366

-82.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$8,065 CA$11.4K

-78.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$6,724 CA$9,506

-89.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

$3,119 CA$4,409

-80.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

4.69

115.78%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for North Vancouver: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

North Vancouver

$1.5K 55.9% 395% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

North Vancouver

$389 14.2% 96.5% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

North Vancouver

$130 4.8% 15.5% $24

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

North Vancouver

$296 10.8% 95.1% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

North Vancouver

$217 7.9% 190% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

North Vancouver

$54 2% 8.8% $5.2

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

North Vancouver

$120 4.4% 278% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $491 in Quito and $1,759 in North Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

North Vancouver pays 425% 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: $55.0 in Quito vs $62.0 in North Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $389 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇦 North Vancouver

🕒 Local time

15:23 3:23 PM

13:23 1:23 PM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

48,200

💱 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

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Between locations

Quito North Vancouver 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
North Vancouver

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 North Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito and North Vancouver differ by about 180% in total monthly costs ($978 vs $2,736 including rent). Quito is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 425% lower in North Vancouver. 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: $491 in Quito versus $1,759 in North Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Quito – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $62.0 in North Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $978 per month in Quito versus $2,736 in North Vancouver – a 180% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $978 in Quito versus $2,736 in North Vancouver, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in North Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Quito and North Vancouver 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 180% less than in North Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.