Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riobamba and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Riobamba: $557 a month against $1,014 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Riobamba
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Riobamba Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

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Riobamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$557

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riobamba and in Quito

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Riobamba and in Quito actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $557 per month in Riobamba vs $1,014 in Quito, rent included.

Riobamba $557
Quito $1,014

A couple spends around $889 per month in Riobamba vs $1,641 in Quito, rent included.

Riobamba $889
Quito $1,641

A family of three spends $1,220 per month in Riobamba vs $2,269 in Quito, rent included.

Riobamba $1,220
Quito $2,269

Riobamba is about 45% cheaper than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Riobamba and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Riobamba 59% lower, Quito 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.47 $3.47

$5.55 $5.55

-37.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.17 $16.17

$54.6 $54.6

-70.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 $6.27

$7.63 $7.63

-17.82%

Cappuccino

$2.36 $2.36

$3.33 $3.33

-29.13%

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

$0.77 $0.77

$1.36 $1.36

-43.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.14 $1.14

-37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.69 $3.69

-46.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$6.16 $6.16

-52.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.15 $1.15

-14.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.61 $1.61

35.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.51 $1.51

-43.05%

Eggs

$1.70 $1.70

$2.15 $2.15

-20.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$6.47 $6.47

-69.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$5.33 $5.33

-41.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$7.77 $7.77

-38.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.23 $2.23

-20.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.24 $1.24

-60.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.27 $1.27

11.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.08 $1.08

-8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.24 $1.24

-37.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.06 $1.06

-18.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 $0.47

$0.91 $0.91

-48.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.95 $5.95

-13.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 $5.45

$8.35 $8.35

-34.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.52 $1.52

0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.20 $3.20

-8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.33 $0.33

-12.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.53 $1.53

-16.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.53 $1.53

-29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.08 $11.08

$10.01 $10.01

10.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.85 $0.85

-2.35%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$22.7K $22.7K

2.48%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$29.6K $29.6K

2.78%

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

$19.63 $19.63

$28.99 $28.99

-32.29%

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

$6.88 $6.88

$17.94 $17.94

-61.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.13 $27.13

$28.85 $28.85

-5.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.35 $25.35

$45.09 $45.09

-43.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.55 $16.55

$17.78 $17.78

-6.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.01 $6.01

$6.75 $6.75

-10.96%

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

$79.6 $79.6

$743 $743

-89.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,459 $1,459

$8,223 $8,223

-82.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 $50.6

$69.8 $69.8

-27.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.00 $48.00

$50.3 $50.3

-4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$113 $113

-8.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 $72.0

$107 $107

-32.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 $117

$542 $542

-78.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.9 $95.9

$354 $354

-72.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 $222

$1,141 $1,141

-80.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 $192

$638 $638

-69.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$497 $497

$1,636 $1,636

-69.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 $663

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 $340

$603 $603

-43.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

10.12

10.28%

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

Last update for Riobamba: October 31, 2026

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Riobamba

$142 25.5%

Quito

$193 19% 35.7% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Riobamba

$123 22.2%

Quito

$153 15.1% 23.9% $29

Eating Out

Riobamba

$97 17.3%

Quito

$148 14.6% 53.4% $52

Accommodation & Living

Riobamba

$96 17.2%

Quito

$354 34.9% 270% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riobamba

$54 9.6%

Quito

$76 7.5% 41.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Riobamba

$37 6.7%

Quito

$59 5.8% 56.8% $21

Getting Around

Riobamba

$7.9 * 1.4%

Quito

$32 3.2% 307% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $117 in Riobamba versus $542 in Quito. 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 78% higher in Quito, 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 $16 in Riobamba versus $55 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $142 vs $193 – making Riobamba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Riobamba

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

12:59 12:59 PM

Same time as Riobamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,000

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Riobamba Quito 160 km

From you

Riobamba
Quito

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

Riobamba vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quito is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $835 per month in Riobamba and $1,521 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Riobamba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $117 there versus $542 in Quito.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $557 in Riobamba and $1,014 in Quito. That makes Riobamba about 45% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $80 per month in Riobamba and $743 in Quito. 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 $557 in Riobamba and $1,014 in Quito, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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