Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo, Ecuador and Guayaquil

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Domingo: $723 a month against $1,235 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
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Santo Domingo Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index

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Santo Domingo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$723

/mo nomad

Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santo Domingo and in Guayaquil

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

A single person spends $723 per month in Santo Domingo vs $1,235 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Santo Domingo $723
Guayaquil $1,235

A couple spends around $1,190 per month in Santo Domingo vs $1,918 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Santo Domingo $1,190
Guayaquil $1,918

A family of three spends $1,657 per month in Santo Domingo vs $2,600 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Santo Domingo $1,657
Guayaquil $2,600

Santo Domingo is about 41% cheaper than Guayaquil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Santo Domingo and Guayaquil are more affordable than the global median – Santo Domingo 47% lower, Guayaquil 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.96 $3.96

$3.91 $3.91

1.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.5 $51.5

$53.3 $53.3

-3.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 $9.15

$8.76 $8.76

4.45%

Cappuccino

$1.98 $1.98

$2.82 $2.82

-29.79%

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

$0.88 $0.88

$0.94 $0.94

-6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.68 $0.68

7.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.03 $3.03

-34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$4.35 $4.35

-4.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.22 $1.22

-16.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 $1.93

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.45 $1.45

-9.66%

Eggs

$2.01 $2.01

$2.06 $2.06

-2.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$7.02 $7.02

-38.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$5.23 $5.23

-42.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$9.29 $9.29

-61.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.48 $1.48

2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.15 $1.15

-14.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.98 $0.98

3.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.90 $0.90

2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.23 $1.23

-20.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.93 $0.93

-1.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 $0.82

$0.81 $0.81

1.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.97 $0.97

2.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$5.90 $5.90

-0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 $5.04

$12.15 $12.15

-58.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.56 $1.56

-3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.15 $2.15

-0.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.34 $0.34

-2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 $20.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.72 $2.72

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.72 $1.72

4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.11 $12.11

$12.07 $12.07

0.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.84 $0.84

7.14%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

-0.21%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$30.8K $30.8K

-1.03%

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

$34.76 $34.76

$128 $128

-72.91%

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

$9.83 $9.83

$14.99 $14.99

-34.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.21 $23.21

$25.69 $25.69

-9.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.57 $32.57

$44.63 $44.63

-27.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 $17.80

$26.98 $26.98

-34.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 $7.55

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

$379 $379

$370 $370

2.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,642 $5,642

$5,607 $5,607

0.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.97 $19.97

$64.1 $64.1

-68.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.92 $29.92

$40.54 $40.54

-26.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.4 $50.4

$126 $126

-60.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.26 $49.26

$93.4 $93.4

-47.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 $422

$656 $656

-35.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 $274

$505 $505

-45.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 $832

$1,001 $1,001

-16.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 $499

$929 $929

-46.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,039 $2,039

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.2K $10.2K

$1,205 $1,205

746.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$401 $401

$622 $622

-35.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

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

Last update for Santo Domingo: October 24, 2026

Last update for Guayaquil: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santo Domingo

$274 37.9%

Guayaquil

$505 40.9% 83.9% $230

Groceries & Markets

Santo Domingo

$145 20.1%

Guayaquil

$200 16.2% 37.8% $55

Eating Out

Santo Domingo

$108 14.9%

Guayaquil

$122 9.9% 13.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santo Domingo

$68 9.4%

Guayaquil

$169 13.7% 149% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Santo Domingo

$67 9.3%

Guayaquil

$146 11.8% 117% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Santo Domingo

$48 6.6%

Guayaquil

$60 4.8% 25.3% $12

Getting Around

Santo Domingo

$13 * 1.8%

Guayaquil

$33 2.7% 154% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $422 in Santo Domingo versus $656 in Guayaquil. 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 55% higher in Guayaquil, 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 $51 in Santo Domingo versus $53 in Guayaquil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $145 vs $200 – making Santo Domingo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Santo Domingo

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🕒 Local time

18:49 6:49 PM

Same time as Santo Domingo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

270,875

3,500,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Santo Domingo vs Guayaquil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guayaquil is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,085 per month in Santo Domingo and $1,852 in Guayaquil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santo Domingo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $422 there versus $656 in Guayaquil.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Santo Domingo and $53 in Guayaquil. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Guayaquil, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santo Domingo, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Guayaquil at $1,235. In Santo Domingo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guayaquil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Guayaquil has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $723 in Santo Domingo to $1,235 in Guayaquil. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Santo Domingo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Guayaquil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.