Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Smithers

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $2,340 in Smithers, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Smithers
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Smithers Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Smithers

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Smithers

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

A single person spends $978 per month in Quito vs $2,340 in Smithers, rent included.

Quito $978
Smithers $2,340

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Quito vs $3,213 in Smithers, rent included.

Quito $1,586
Smithers $3,213

A family of three spends $2,194 per month in Quito vs $4,086 in Smithers, rent included.

Quito $2,194
Smithers $4,086

Quito is about 58% cheaper than Smithers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 28% below the global median, while Smithers is 73% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$17.65 CA$24.95

-65.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$64.1 CA$90.7

-13.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$10.80 CA$15.27

-29.54%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$3.57 CA$5.05

-4.76%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$1.97 CA$2.79

-30.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.56 CA$2.21

-30.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$5.40 CA$7.63

-36.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.31 CA$7.51

14.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.06 CA$2.91

-44.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.52 CA$3.57

-36.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.34 CA$4.72

-52.69%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$3.36 CA$4.75

-36.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$9.57 CA$13.54

-31.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$11.02 CA$15.58

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$14.76 CA$20.87

-48.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.77 CA$5.33

-40.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.26 CA$1.78

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$3.56 CA$5.03

-62.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$3.73 CA$5.27

-69.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.41 CA$3.41

-48.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.20 CA$3.11

-53.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.46 CA$3.47

-62.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.55 CA$2.20

-32.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$12.79 CA$18.08

-51.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$12.64 CA$17.86

-20.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.65 CA$3.75

-40.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.66 CA$3.77

16.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$2.30 CA$3.26

-84.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

$65.1 CA$92.0

-67.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.93 CA$4.15

-47.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.23 CA$1.73

21.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$20.08 CA$28.38

-51.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.14 CA$1.61

-28.95%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$30.4K CA$43.0K

-30.05%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$20.1K CA$28.4K

38.68%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$119 CA$168

-75.79%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$36.58 CA$51.7

-51.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$45.68 CA$64.6

-38.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$37.18 CA$52.6

23.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$18.51 CA$26.17

-4.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$10.81 CA$15.28

-41.35%

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

$739 $739

$642 CA$908

15.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$11.6K CA$16.4K

-23.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$53.8 CA$76.0

32.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$38.56 CA$54.5

30.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$85.7 CA$121

33.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$94.8 CA$134

13.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$1,240 CA$1,753

-60.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$1,262 CA$1,784

-75.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$1,967 CA$2,781

-52.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$1,619 CA$2,288

-66.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$3,672 CA$5,192

-52.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$3,113 CA$4,400

-77.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

4.66

117.17%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Smithers: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

Smithers

$1.3K 53.9% 309% $953

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

Smithers

$344 14.7% 73.7% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

Smithers

$123 5.3% 20.4% $31

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

Smithers

$268 11.5% 77.1% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

Smithers

$201 8.6% 169% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Smithers

$59 2.5% 0.1% $0

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

Smithers

$83 3.6% 162% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $491 in Quito versus $1,240 in Smithers. 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 $55.0 in Quito versus $64.0 in Smithers. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $344 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇦 Smithers

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

14:22 2:22 PM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

5,400

💱 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 Smithers 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Smithers

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 Smithers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Smithers is pricier by about 139%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,467 per month in Quito and $3,510 in Smithers. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 205% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $739 per month in Quito and $642 in Smithers. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Smithers at $2,340. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Smithers it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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