Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and University Place, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $984 a month against $2,851 in University Place, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 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
137

Cost of Living Index in University Place, WA
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University Place, WA Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$984

/mo nomad

University Place, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in University Place, WA

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 University Place, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $984 per month in Quito vs $2,851 in University Place, WA, rent included.

Quito $984
University Place, WA $2,851

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in Quito vs $4,224 in University Place, WA, rent included.

Quito $1,587
University Place, WA $4,224

A family of three spends $2,189 per month in Quito vs $5,598 in University Place, WA, rent included.

Quito $2,189
University Place, WA $5,598

Quito is about 65% cheaper than University Place, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 27% below the global median, while University Place, WA is 110% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.07 $6.07

$25.22 $25.22

-75.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 $53.8

$100 $100

-46.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 $7.45

$12.06 $12.06

-38.23%

Cappuccino

$3.34 $3.34

$5.89 $5.89

-43.29%

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

$1.39 $1.39

$3.10 $3.10

-55.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 $1.15

$3.10 $3.10

-62.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 $3.45

$7.81 $7.81

-55.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 $5.98

$8.19 $8.19

-26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.15 $1.15

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 $1.53

$4.24 $4.24

-63.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$5.72 $5.72

-73.95%

Eggs

$2.09 $2.09

$5.03 $5.03

-58.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.33 $6.33

$16.27 $16.27

-61.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$18.71 $18.71

-70.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.57 $7.57

$23.43 $23.43

-67.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$5.92 $5.92

-62.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.67 $1.67

-25.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$5.14 $5.14

-75.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$4.66 $4.66

-75.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$3.58 $3.58

-67.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.91 $2.91

-62.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.03 $2.03

-54.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.98 $2.98

-65.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 $5.91

$12.15 $12.15

-51.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$17.78 $17.78

-43.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.77 $1.77

-14.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$4.76 $4.76

-32.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$2.08 $2.08

-82.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.25 $21.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.58 $2.58

-42.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.70 $1.70

-10.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 $10.08

$29.67 $29.67

-66.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.39 $1.39

-41.73%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

-18.03%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$26.4K $26.4K

16.04%

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

$28.20 $28.20

$231 $231

-87.77%

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

$17.65 $17.65

$71.0 $71.0

-75.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.83 $28.83

$87.1 $87.1

-66.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.91 $46.91

$40.92 $40.92

14.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 $18.10

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 $6.58

$18.14 $18.14

-63.73%

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

$744 $744

$2,127 $2,127

-65.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,068 $9,068

$31.6K $31.6K

-71.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 $70.1

$60.0 $60.0

16.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.81 $49.81

$44.92 $44.92

10.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$129 $129

-10.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$127 $127

-13.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 $481

$1,569 $1,569

-69.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 $317

$1,307 $1,307

-75.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 $950

$2,513 $2,513

-62.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 $546

$2,123 $2,123

-74.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,775 $1,775

$2,448 $2,448

-27.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$722 $722

$2,307 $2,307

-68.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$7,911 $7,911

-92.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.64

52.41%

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

Last update for Quito: October 17, 2026

Last update for University Place, WA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$317 32.2%

University Place, WA

$1.3K 45.8% 312% $990

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$195 19.9%

University Place, WA

$507 17.8% 160% $312

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$155 15.8%

University Place, WA

$162 5.7% 4.7% $7.3

Eating Out

Quito

$150 15.3%

University Place, WA

$389 13.6% 159% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

University Place, WA

$389 13.6% 421% $314

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$60 6.1%

University Place, WA

$77 2.7% 28.5% $17

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

University Place, WA

$19 * 0.7% 39% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Quito versus $1,569 in University Place, WA. 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 1225% higher in University Place, WA, 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 $54.0 in Quito versus $100 in University Place, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $507 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 University Place, WA

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

03:19 3:19 AM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

34,866

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Quito University Place, WA 6,780 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
University Place, WA

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 University Place, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – University Place, WA is pricier by about 190%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,477 per month in Quito and $4,276 in University Place, WA. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $984 in Quito and $2,851 in University Place, WA. That's a gap of about 190%.

Kindergarten costs $744 per month in Quito and $2,127 in University Place, WA. 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 $984, than in University Place, WA at $2,851. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in University Place, WA 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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