Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Port Alberni

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $1,670 in Port Alberni, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Port Alberni
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Port Alberni Living Index

Jump to prices

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Port Alberni

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Port Alberni

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Quito versus $1,670 in Port Alberni.

Quito $978
Port Alberni $1,670

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Quito versus $2,790 in Port Alberni.

Quito $1,586
Port Alberni $2,790

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Quito versus $3,911 in Port Alberni.

Quito $2,194
Port Alberni $3,911

Living in Quito costs roughly 41% less than in Port Alberni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 28% below, Port Alberni is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$17.48 CA$24.85

-65.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$61.2 CA$87.0

-9.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$10.46 CA$14.87

-27.25%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$3.89 CA$5.54

-12.60%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$2.04 CA$2.90

-32.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.38 CA$1.97

-21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.44 CA$4.89

-0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.40 CA$7.68

12.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.14 CA$3.04

-46.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.28 CA$3.24

-29.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.73 CA$3.88

-42.12%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$3.93 CA$5.59

-46.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$8.94 CA$12.70

-26.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.09 CA$5.81

34.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$19.41 CA$27.58

-60.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.73 CA$3.87

-17.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.06 CA$1.51

12.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$3.40 CA$4.83

-60.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$3.59 CA$5.10

-68.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.07 CA$2.94

-40.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.85 CA$2.63

-44.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.16 CA$3.07

-57.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.68 CA$0.97

54.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$10.54 CA$14.98

-41.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$10.33 CA$14.69

-2.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.51 CA$3.56

-37.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.86 CA$4.07

8.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$1.42 CA$2.02

-74.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

$33.09 CA$47.03

-35.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.68 CA$3.81

-42.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.56 CA$2.21

-4.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$31.01 CA$44.07

-68.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.20 CA$1.70

-32.50%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$27.5K CA$39.1K

-22.84%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$19.5K CA$27.7K

42.94%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$81.8 CA$116

-64.87%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$36.45 CA$51.8

-51.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$51.0 CA$72.5

-44.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$42.83 CA$60.9

7.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$12.16 CA$17.28

-47.86%

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

$739 $739

$1,087 CA$1,545

-32.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$19.9K CA$28.3K

-55.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$58.2 CA$82.7

22.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$32.34 CA$45.96

55.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$95.4 CA$136

19.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$93.7 CA$133

14.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$790 CA$1,122

-37.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$705 CA$1,002

-56.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$1,660 CA$2,359

-43.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$1,673 CA$2,378

-67.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

$3,045 CA$4,328

-80.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

4.28

136.45%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Port Alberni: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

Port Alberni

$705 42.2% 128% $396

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

Port Alberni

$293 17.6% 48.2% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

Port Alberni

$126 7.5% 18.4% $28

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

Port Alberni

$260 15.6% 71.5% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

Port Alberni

$169 10.1% 126% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Port Alberni

$67 4% 14.3% $8.4

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

Port Alberni

$49 3% 54.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $491 in Quito and $790 in Port Alberni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Alberni pays 413% 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 $61.0 in Port Alberni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $293 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇦 Port Alberni

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

20:20 8:20 PM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

17,743

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 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 = 0.704 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 Port Alberni 7,050 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Port Alberni

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 Port Alberni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 413% lower in Port Alberni. 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 $790 in Port Alberni. 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 $61.0 in Port Alberni. 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 $1,670 in Port Alberni – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $978 in Quito versus $1,670 in Port Alberni, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Port Alberni. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quito is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Port Alberni, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Port Alberni. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.