Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $4,319 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $40,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,319

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Francisco, CA 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 San Francisco, CA and in Quito actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,319 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $979 in Quito, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $4,319
Quito $979

A couple spends around $6,503 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $1,607 in Quito, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $6,503
Quito $1,607

A family of three spends $8,686 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $2,234 in Quito, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $8,686
Quito $2,234

San Francisco, CA costs about 341% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Francisco, CA sits 222% above the global median, while Quito is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 $26.68

$6.14 $6.14

334.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$53.9 $53.9

122.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.77 $14.77

$7.81 $7.81

89.12%

Cappuccino

$6.03 $6.03

$3.42 $3.42

76.32%

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

$3.24 $3.24

$1.44 $1.44

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.14 $1.14

132.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$3.48 $3.48

133.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.26 $9.26

$5.89 $5.89

57.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.14 $1.14

51.75%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$1.54 $1.54

243.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.51 $1.51

214.57%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$2.16 $2.16

132.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$6.40 $6.40

152.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$5.48 $5.48

185.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.18 $22.18

$7.81 $7.81

183.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.33 $2.33

161.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.24 $1.24

129.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.31 $1.31

229.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.97 $6.97

$1.14 $1.14

511.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.21 $1.21

141.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.02 $1.02

251.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.93 $0.93

212.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.05 $1.05

160.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$6.02 $6.02

102.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$9.93 $9.93

48.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.59 $1.59

104.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.08 $3.08

18.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.37 $0.37

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 $93.4

$20.95 $20.95

345.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.54 $1.54

168.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.53 $1.53

29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.24 $38.24

$10.01 $10.01

282.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.87 $0.87

79.31%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.0K $21.0K

76.55%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$28.6K $28.6K

-9.19%

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

$213 $213

$28.97 $28.97

634.45%

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

$60.9 $60.9

$17.57 $17.57

246.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 $75.0

$28.14 $28.14

166.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$46.48 $46.48

157.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$17.70 $17.70

13.79%

Cinema Ticket

$18.28 $18.28

$6.38 $6.38

186.52%

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

$2,918 $2,918

$746 $746

290.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K $42.2K

$9,015 $9,015

367.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 $77.5

$68.8 $68.8

12.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 $47.59

$50.4 $50.4

-5.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$117 $117

-14.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$109 $109

28.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,807 $3,807

$478 $478

696.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$313 $313

723.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,674 $5,674

$967 $967

486.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,552 $4,552

$549 $549

728.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,816 $9,816

$1,763 $1,763

456.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$720 $720

957.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,881 $6,881

$597 $597

1052.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

10.12

-33.20%

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

Last update for San Francisco, CA: October 5, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60%

Quito

$313 31.8% 87.9% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco, CA

$516 12%

Quito

$198 20.1% 61.7% $318

Eating Out

San Francisco, CA

$413 9.6%

Quito

$153 15.5% 62.9% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco, CA

$349 8.1%

Quito

$75 7.6% 78.6% $274

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8%

Quito

$156 15.8% 5.3% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco, CA

$156 3.6%

Quito

$59 6% 62.1% $97

Getting Around

San Francisco, CA

$119 2.8%

Quito

$32 3.2% 73.5% $88

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,807 in San Francisco, CA versus $478 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 1053% higher in San Francisco, CA, 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 $120 in San Francisco, CA versus $54.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $516 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

2 h ahead of San Francisco, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

873,965

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Francisco, CA Quito 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Francisco, CA
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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

San Francisco, CA vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Francisco, CA is pricier by about 341%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,479 per month in San Francisco, CA and $1,468 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 346% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,918 per month in San Francisco, CA and $746 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 $979, than in San Francisco, CA at $4,319. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Francisco, CA 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, San Francisco, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.