Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Tulcán

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulcán: $890 a month against $1,014 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Tulcán
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Tulcán Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Tulcán

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$890

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Tulcán

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

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Quito vs $890 in Tulcán, rent included.

Quito $1,014
Tulcán $890

A couple spends around $1,641 per month in Quito vs $1,479 in Tulcán, rent included.

Quito $1,641
Tulcán $1,479

A family of three spends $2,269 per month in Quito vs $2,067 in Tulcán, rent included.

Quito $2,269
Tulcán $2,067

Quito costs about 14% more than Tulcán, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Quito and Tulcán are more affordable than the global median – Quito 25% lower, Tulcán 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 $5.55

$5.46 $5.46

1.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$55.5 $55.5

-1.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 $7.63

$7.77 $7.77

-1.80%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$3.41 $3.41

-2.35%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$1.43 $1.43

-4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.05 $1.05

8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.59 $3.59

2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$6.09 $6.09

1.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.09 $1.09

5.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.60 $1.60

0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.57 $1.57

-3.82%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$2.18 $2.18

-1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$6.34 $6.34

2.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$5.24 $5.24

1.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$7.67 $7.67

1.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.31 $2.31

-3.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.33 $1.33

-4.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.20 $1.20

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.07 $1.07

-0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.87 $0.87

4.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.03 $1.03

-4.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 $5.95

$6.02 $6.02

-1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 $8.35

$8.59 $8.59

-2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.10 $3.10

3.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.34 $0.34

-2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.51 $1.51

1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.47 $1.47

4.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$10.09 $10.09

-0.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.87 $0.87

-2.30%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$23.5K $23.5K

-3.20%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$30.2K $30.2K

-2.19%

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

$28.99 $28.99

$28.34 $28.34

2.29%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$18.09 $18.09

-0.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 $28.85

$28.93 $28.93

-0.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 $45.09

$29.41 $29.41

53.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

$16.25 $16.25

9.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$6.41 $6.41

5.30%

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

$743 $743

$744 $744

-0.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,223 $8,223

$8,868 $8,868

-7.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$70.4 $70.4

-0.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$49.24 $49.24

2.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$116 $116

-2.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 $542

$418 $418

29.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

$268 $268

32.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$832 $832

37.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$508 $508

25.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 $663

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 $603

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tulcán: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$354 34.9%

Tulcán

$268 30.1% 24.4% $87

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$193 19%

Tulcán

$192 21.6% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Tulcán

$155 17.4% 1.1% $1.6

Eating Out

Quito

$148 14.6%

Tulcán

$148 16.6% 0.1% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$76 7.5%

Tulcán

$75 8.5% 0.6% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 5.8%

Tulcán

$42 4.7% 27.9% $16

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Tulcán

$10 * 1.1% 68.1% $22

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 $418 in Tulcán. 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 $56 in Tulcán. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Quito vs $192 in Tulcán – so Tulcán wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Tulcán

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

82,734

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quito Tulcán 140 km

From you

Quito
Tulcán

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 Tulcán: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quito is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,521 per month in Quito and $1,336 in Tulcán. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tulcán, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $542 in Quito.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,014 in Quito and $890 in Tulcán. That makes Tulcán about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $743 per month in Quito and $744 in Tulcán. 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 $890 in Tulcán, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Quito has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $890 in Tulcán to $1,014 in Quito. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.