Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salt Lake City, UT and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,673 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,673

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT and in Quito actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,673 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $1,014 in Quito, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $2,673
Quito $1,014

A couple spends around $3,881 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $1,641 in Quito, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $3,881
Quito $1,641

A family of three spends $5,090 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $2,269 in Quito, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $5,090
Quito $2,269

Salt Lake City, UT costs about 164% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Salt Lake City, UT sits 98% above the global median, while Quito is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.80 $17.80

$5.55 $5.55

220.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$54.6 $54.6

34.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 $9.93

$7.63 $7.63

30.14%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$3.33 $3.33

50.75%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$1.36 $1.36

63.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.14 $1.14

44.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.69 $3.69

63.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 $8.15

$6.16 $6.16

32.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.15 $1.15

-19.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 $3.86

$1.61 $1.61

139.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.51 $1.51

164.90%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.15 $2.15

92.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$6.47 $6.47

81.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.16 $12.16

$5.33 $5.33

128.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$7.77 $7.77

126.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.23 $2.23

80.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.24 $1.24

11.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.27 $1.27

181.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.08 $1.08

272.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.24 $1.24

86.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.06 $1.06

134.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.91 $0.91

104.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.98 $0.98

91.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.31 $10.31

$5.95 $5.95

73.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$8.35 $8.35

76.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.52 $1.52

82.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.20 $3.20

2.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.33 $0.33

675.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.3 $85.3

$21.42 $21.42

298.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.53 $1.53

62.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.53 $1.53

52.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 $24.70

$10.01 $10.01

146.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.85 $0.85

34.12%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$22.7K $22.7K

54.36%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$29.6K $29.6K

-10.31%

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

$200 $200

$28.99 $28.99

591.41%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$17.94 $17.94

188.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.8 $83.8

$28.85 $28.85

190.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.23 $34.23

$45.09 $45.09

-24.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.29 $27.29

$17.78 $17.78

53.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$6.75 $6.75

120.30%

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

$1,338 $1,338

$743 $743

80.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K $26.2K

$8,223 $8,223

218.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 $70.7

$69.8 $69.8

1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 $45.73

$50.3 $50.3

-9.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$113 $113

-1.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$107 $107

1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 $1,556

$542 $542

187.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 $1,334

$354 $354

276.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,741 $2,741

$1,141 $1,141

140.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$638 $638

237.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,582 $4,582

$1,636 $1,636

180.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,015 $3,015

$663 $663

355.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,387 $4,387

$603 $603

627.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

10.12

-36.17%

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

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: November 2, 2026

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.3K 49.9%

Quito

$354 34.9% 73.4% $980

Groceries & Markets

Salt Lake City, UT

$384 14.4%

Quito

$193 19% 49.8% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salt Lake City, UT

$336 12.6%

Quito

$76 7.5% 77.4% $260

Eating Out

Salt Lake City, UT

$294 11%

Quito

$148 14.6% 49.7% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Salt Lake City, UT

$151 5.7%

Quito

$153 15.1% 1% $1.5

Getting Around

Salt Lake City, UT

$110 4.1%

Quito

$32 3.2% 70.9% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Salt Lake City, UT

$64 2.4%

Quito

$59 5.8% 8.4% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,556 in Salt Lake City, UT 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 in Salt Lake City, UT are about 7.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $55 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $193 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

16:08 4:08 PM

18:08 6:08 PM

2 h ahead of Salt Lake City, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,133

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Salt Lake City, UT Quito 5,670 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Salt Lake City, UT
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

Salt Lake City, UT vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Salt Lake City, UT is pricier by about 164%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,009 per month in Salt Lake City, UT 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 Quito, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $542 there versus $1,556 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,338 per month in Salt Lake City, UT and $743 in Quito. 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 $1,014, than in Salt Lake City, UT at $2,673. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salt Lake City, UT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quito costs $1,014 versus $2,673 in Salt Lake City, UT. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Quito. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salt Lake City, UT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.