Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Pasaje

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasaje: $864 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Pasaje
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Pasaje Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Pasaje

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Pasaje

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

A single person spends $1,015 per month in Quito vs $864 in Pasaje, rent included.

Quito $1,015
Pasaje $864

A couple spends around $1,636 per month in Quito vs $1,428 in Pasaje, rent included.

Quito $1,636
Pasaje $1,428

A family of three spends $2,258 per month in Quito vs $1,993 in Pasaje, rent included.

Quito $2,258
Pasaje $1,993

Quito costs about 17% more than Pasaje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Quito and Pasaje are more affordable than the global median – Quito 25% lower, Pasaje 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 $5.41

$3.88 $3.88

39.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 $55.2

$52.3 $52.3

5.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 $7.66

$9.14 $9.14

-16.19%

Cappuccino

$3.31 $3.31

$2.91 $2.91

13.75%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$0.86 $0.86

58.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.73 $0.73

49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.96 $2.96

16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.33 $4.33

35.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.16 $1.16

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.94 $1.94

-20.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.40 $1.40

11.43%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$2.08 $2.08

3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$6.84 $6.84

-5.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.13 $5.13

1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 $7.66

$8.94 $8.94

-14.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.47 $1.47

59.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.16 $1.16

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.02 $1.02

24.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.96 $0.96

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.28 $1.28

-7.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.91 $0.91

12.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.87 $0.87

3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.02 $1.02

-1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 $6.14

$5.91 $5.91

3.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 $8.62

$11.99 $11.99

-28.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.57 $1.57

0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.14 $2.14

44.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.39 $0.39

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 $21.34

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.80 $2.80

-47.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.73 $1.73

-10.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.07 $10.07

$11.91 $11.91

-15.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.83 $0.83

3.61%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$23.0K $23.0K

1.55%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$31.2K $31.2K

-2.25%

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

$28.33 $28.33

$33.84 $33.84

-16.28%

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

$18.08 $18.08

$15.11 $15.11

19.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.84 $28.84

$26.30 $26.30

9.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.86 $42.86

$30.99 $30.99

38.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 $17.92

$15.24 $15.24

17.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$7.52 $7.52

-10.24%

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

$750 $750

$368 $368

104.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,967 $8,967

$5,688 $5,688

57.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 $69.7

$66.1 $66.1

5.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.06 $49.06

$39.84 $39.84

23.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$124 $124

-9.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$91.0 $91.0

20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 $548

$411 $411

33.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 $362

$263 $263

37.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 $1,126

$710 $710

58.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 $637

$505 $505

26.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,654 $1,654

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 $664

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 $606

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

10.05

0.70%

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

Last update for Quito: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pasaje: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$362 35.6%

Pasaje

$263 30.5% 27.1% $98

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$192 18.9%

Pasaje

$198 23% 3.5% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Pasaje

$144 16.7% 5.8% $8.9

Eating Out

Quito

$145 14.3%

Pasaje

$123 14.3% 14.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.4%

Pasaje

$75 8.7% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$56 5.6%

Pasaje

$46 5.3% 18.3% $10

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Pasaje

$13 * 1.5% 59.2% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $548 in Quito versus $411 in Pasaje. 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 in Quito versus $52 in Pasaje. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Quito vs $198 in Pasaje – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Pasaje

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

44,860

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quito Pasaje 370 km

From you

Quito
Pasaje

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 Pasaje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito costs about 17% more than Pasaje, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Quito and $1,296 in Pasaje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasaje, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $548 in Quito.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito and $52 in Pasaje. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Quito – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,015 in Quito and $864 in Pasaje. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Pasaje – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.