Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Riobamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Riobamba: $557 a month against $1,014 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Riobamba
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Riobamba Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Riobamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Riobamba

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

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Quito vs $557 in Riobamba, rent included.

Quito $1,014
Riobamba $557

A couple spends around $1,641 per month in Quito vs $889 in Riobamba, rent included.

Quito $1,641
Riobamba $889

A family of three spends $2,269 per month in Quito vs $1,220 in Riobamba, rent included.

Quito $2,269
Riobamba $1,220

Quito costs about 82% more than Riobamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Quito and Riobamba are more affordable than the global median – Quito 25% lower, Riobamba 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 $5.55

$3.47 $3.47

59.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$16.17 $16.17

237.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 $7.63

$6.27 $6.27

21.69%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$2.36 $2.36

41.10%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$0.77 $0.77

76.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.71 $0.71

60.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.98 $1.98

86.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.92 $2.92

110.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.98 $0.98

17.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.18 $2.18

-26.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.86 $0.86

75.58%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$1.70 $1.70

26.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$1.98 $1.98

226.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$3.12 $3.12

70.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$4.77 $4.77

62.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.77 $1.77

25.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.49 $0.49

153.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.41 $1.41

-9.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.99 $0.99

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.77 $0.77

61.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.86 $0.86

23.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.47 $0.47

93.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 $5.95

$5.12 $5.12

16.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 $8.35

$5.45 $5.45

53.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.53 $1.53

-0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.92 $2.92

9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.29 $0.29

13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.27 $1.27

20.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.08 $1.08

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$11.08 $11.08

-9.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.83 $0.83

2.41%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$23.3K $23.3K

-2.42%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$30.4K $30.4K

-2.70%

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

$28.99 $28.99

$19.63 $19.63

47.68%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$6.88 $6.88

160.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 $28.85

$27.13 $27.13

6.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 $45.09

$25.35 $25.35

77.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

$16.55 $16.55

7.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$6.01 $6.01

12.31%

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

$743 $743

$79.6 $79.6

833.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,223 $8,223

$1,459 $1,459

463.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$50.6 $50.6

37.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$48.00 $48.00

4.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$104 $104

8.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$72.0 $72.0

48.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 $542

$117 $117

364.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

$95.9 $95.9

269.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$222 $222

413.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$192 $192

232.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

$497 $497

228.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 $663

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 $603

$340 $340

77.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

11.16

-9.32%

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Riobamba: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$354 34.9%

Riobamba

$96 17.2% 72.9% $258

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$193 19%

Riobamba

$142 25.5% 26.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Riobamba

$123 22.2% 19.3% $29

Eating Out

Quito

$148 14.6%

Riobamba

$97 17.3% 34.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$76 7.5%

Riobamba

$54 9.6% 29.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 5.8%

Riobamba

$37 6.7% 36.2% $21

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Riobamba

$7.9 * 1.4% 75.4% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $542 in Quito versus $117 in Riobamba. 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 78% higher in Quito, 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 in Quito versus $16 in Riobamba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $142 – making Riobamba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Riobamba

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

170,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Quito Riobamba 160 km

From you

Quito
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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 Riobamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quito is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,521 per month in Quito and $835 in Riobamba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Riobamba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $117 there versus $542 in Quito.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,014 in Quito and $557 in Riobamba. That makes Riobamba about 45% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $743 per month in Quito and $80 in Riobamba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,014 in Quito and $557 in Riobamba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

If budget matters most, go with Riobamba. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Quito makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.