Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Vancouver

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

A single person spends $979 per month in Quito vs $2,684 in Vancouver, rent included.

Quito $979
Vancouver $2,684

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Quito vs $3,878 in Vancouver, rent included.

Quito $1,607
Vancouver $3,878

A family of three spends $2,234 per month in Quito vs $5,072 in Vancouver, rent included.

Quito $2,234
Vancouver $5,072

Quito is about 64% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 27% below the global median, while Vancouver is 100% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 $6.14

$17.30 CA$24.61

-64.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$69.0 CA$98.1

-21.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$10.56 CA$15.02

-26.04%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$3.89 CA$5.53

-12.08%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$2.05 CA$2.92

-29.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.62 CA$2.31

-29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 $3.48

$5.54 CA$7.89

-37.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$6.33 CA$9.00

-6.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.31 CA$3.29

-50.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.50 CA$3.56

-38.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$4.44 CA$6.32

-65.99%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$4.07 CA$5.79

-46.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$11.28 CA$16.04

-43.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$13.42 CA$19.09

-59.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$20.10 CA$28.59

-61.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$4.06 CA$5.77

-42.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.33 CA$1.89

-6.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$3.91 CA$5.56

-66.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$4.05 CA$5.77

-71.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.72 CA$3.87

-55.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.89 CA$4.11

-64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.53 CA$3.60

-63.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.62 CA$2.30

-35.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 $6.02

$15.57 CA$22.15

-61.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$14.05 CA$19.99

-29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.69 CA$3.82

-40.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.99 CA$4.26

3.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$2.44 CA$3.47

-84.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

$83.4 CA$119

-74.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.71 CA$3.86

-43.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.57 CA$2.23

-2.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$31.39 CA$44.65

-68.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.38 CA$1.96

-36.96%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$28.1K CA$39.9K

-25.24%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

44.09%

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

$28.97 $28.97

$81.2 CA$115

-64.31%

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

$17.57 $17.57

$37.45 CA$53.3

-53.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 $28.14

$51.4 CA$73.1

-45.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 $46.48

$43.47 CA$61.8

6.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

$12.53 CA$17.82

41.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 $6.38

$12.54 CA$17.84

-49.12%

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

$746 $746

$1,094 CA$1,557

-31.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,015 $9,015

$19.9K CA$28.3K

-54.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$57.0 CA$81.1

20.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$32.73 CA$46.56

53.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$92.6 CA$132

26.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$94.2 CA$134

15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 $478

$1,745 CA$2,483

-72.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$1,484 CA$2,111

-78.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$2,998 CA$4,264

-67.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 $549

$2,422 CA$3,446

-77.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$8,002 CA$11.4K

-77.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 $720

$6,457 CA$9,184

-88.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$3,799 CA$5,404

-84.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

4.28

136.45%

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

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$313 31.8%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6% 374% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.1%

Vancouver

$399 15.2% 102% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$156 15.8%

Vancouver

$124 4.8% 20% $31

Eating Out

Quito

$153 15.5%

Vancouver

$272 10.4% 77.6% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

Vancouver

$170 6.5% 128% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Vancouver

$69 2.6% 15.7% $9.3

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Vancouver

$104 4% 228% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Quito versus $1,745 in Vancouver. 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 537% higher in Vancouver, 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 $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $399 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

20:03 8:03 PM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Quito Vancouver 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Vancouver

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 Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 174%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,468 per month in Quito and $4,026 in Vancouver. 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 298% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $746 per month in Quito and $1,094 in Vancouver. 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 $979, than in Vancouver at $2,684. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver 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, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.