Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Santo Domingo, Ecuador

Name: Santo Domingo
Address: Santo Domingo, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Domingo: $723 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
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Santo Domingo Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Santo Domingo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Santo Domingo

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

A single person spends $1,015 per month in Quito vs $723 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Quito $1,015
Santo Domingo $723

A couple spends around $1,636 per month in Quito vs $1,190 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Quito $1,636
Santo Domingo $1,190

A family of three spends $2,258 per month in Quito vs $1,657 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Quito $2,258
Santo Domingo $1,657

Quito costs about 40% more than Santo Domingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Quito and Santo Domingo are more affordable than the global median – Quito 25% lower, Santo Domingo 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 $5.41

$3.96 $3.96

36.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 $55.2

$51.5 $51.5

7.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 $7.66

$9.15 $9.15

-16.28%

Cappuccino

$3.31 $3.31

$1.98 $1.98

67.17%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$0.88 $0.88

54.55%

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

$1.98 $1.98

74.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.17 $4.17

40.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.02 $1.02

6.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.93 $1.93

-19.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.31 $1.31

19.08%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$2.01 $2.01

7.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$4.34 $4.34

48.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.99 $2.99

74.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 $7.66

$3.54 $3.54

116.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.51 $1.51

54.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.98 $0.98

22.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.01 $1.01

25.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.92 $0.92

21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$0.98 $0.98

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.92 $0.92

10.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.82 $0.82

9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.99 $0.99

1.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 $6.14

$5.87 $5.87

4.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 $8.62

$5.04 $5.04

71.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.50 $1.50

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.13 $2.13

45.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.33 $0.33

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 $21.34

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.82 $2.82

-48.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.80 $1.80

-14.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.07 $10.07

$12.11 $12.11

-16.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.90 $0.90

-4.44%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$23.1K $23.1K

1.11%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

-0.05%

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

$28.33 $28.33

$34.76 $34.76

-18.50%

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

$18.08 $18.08

$9.83 $9.83

83.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.84 $28.84

$23.21 $23.21

24.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.86 $42.86

$32.57 $32.57

31.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 $17.92

$17.80 $17.80

0.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$7.55 $7.55

-10.60%

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

$750 $750

$379 $379

98.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,967 $8,967

$5,642 $5,642

58.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 $69.7

$19.97 $19.97

249.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.06 $49.06

$29.92 $29.92

63.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$50.4 $50.4

122.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$49.26 $49.26

122.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 $548

$422 $422

30.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 $362

$274 $274

31.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 $1,126

$832 $832

35.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 $637

$499 $499

27.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,654 $1,654

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 $664

$10.2K $10.2K

-93.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 $606

$401 $401

51.26%

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 Santo Domingo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$362 35.6%

Santo Domingo

$274 37.9% 24.1% $87

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$192 18.9%

Santo Domingo

$145 20.1% 24.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Santo Domingo

$67 9.3% 56.1% $86

Eating Out

Quito

$145 14.3%

Santo Domingo

$108 14.9% 25.7% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.4%

Santo Domingo

$68 9.4% 9.9% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$56 5.6%

Santo Domingo

$48 6.6% 15.4% $8.7

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Santo Domingo

$13 * 1.8% 58.8% $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 $422 in Santo Domingo. 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 51% higher in Quito. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito versus $51 in Santo Domingo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $145 – making Santo Domingo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Santo Domingo

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

270,875

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Quito Santo Domingo 73 km

From you

Quito
Santo Domingo

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 Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quito is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Quito and $1,085 in Santo Domingo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santo Domingo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $422 there versus $548 in Quito.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,015 in Quito and $723 in Santo Domingo. That makes Santo Domingo about 29% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $750 per month in Quito and $379 in Santo Domingo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santo Domingo, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Quito at $1,015. In Santo Domingo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quito it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santo Domingo – 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 Santo Domingo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Quito makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.