Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Smithers and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $2,340 in Smithers, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Smithers
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Smithers Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Smithers

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,340

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,340 per month in Smithers vs $978 in Quito, rent included.

Smithers $2,340
Quito $978

A couple spends around $3,213 per month in Smithers vs $1,586 in Quito, rent included.

Smithers $3,213
Quito $1,586

A family of three spends $4,086 per month in Smithers vs $2,194 in Quito, rent included.

Smithers $4,086
Quito $2,194

Smithers costs about 139% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Smithers sits 73% above the global median, while Quito is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.95

$6.08 $6.08

190.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 CA$90.7

$55.5 $55.5

15.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 CA$15.27

$7.61 $7.61

41.92%

Cappuccino

$3.57 CA$5.05

$3.40 $3.40

5.00%

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

$1.97 CA$2.79

$1.37 $1.37

43.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$1.09 $1.09

43.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 CA$7.63

$3.43 $3.43

57.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 CA$7.51

$6.06 $6.06

-12.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$1.14 $1.14

80.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.57

$1.60 $1.60

57.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.72

$1.58 $1.58

111.39%

Eggs

$3.36 CA$4.75

$2.12 $2.12

58.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 CA$13.54

$6.58 $6.58

45.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.58

$5.51 $5.51

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 CA$20.87

$7.65 $7.65

92.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$2.24 $2.24

68.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.19 $1.19

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 CA$5.03

$1.33 $1.33

167.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.27

$1.13 $1.13

230.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.41

$1.24 $1.24

94.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$1.02 $1.02

115.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.47

$0.92 $0.92

167.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.20

$1.05 $1.05

47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.79 CA$18.08

$6.16 $6.16

107.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.64 CA$17.86

$10.07 $10.07

25.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.75

$1.58 $1.58

67.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 CA$3.77

$3.09 $3.09

-13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.26

$0.36 $0.36

538.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 CA$92.0

$21.37 $21.37

204.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 CA$4.15

$1.53 $1.53

91.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 CA$1.73

$1.49 $1.49

-17.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.08 CA$28.38

$9.84 $9.84

104.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.61

$0.81 $0.81

40.74%

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

$30.4K CA$43.0K

$21.3K $21.3K

42.96%

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

$20.1K CA$28.4K

$27.9K $27.9K

-27.89%

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

$119 CA$168

$28.75 $28.75

313.04%

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

$36.58 CA$51.7

$17.86 $17.86

104.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.68 CA$64.6

$28.20 $28.20

61.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.18 CA$52.6

$46.08 $46.08

-19.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 CA$26.17

$17.76 $17.76

4.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 CA$15.28

$6.34 $6.34

70.50%

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

$642 CA$908

$739 $739

-13.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$16.4K

$8,909 $8,909

30.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 CA$76.0

$71.0 $71.0

-24.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.56 CA$54.5

$50.4 $50.4

-23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$121

$114 $114

-24.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 CA$134

$107 $107

-11.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,753

$491 $491

152.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 CA$1,784

$309 $309

308.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 CA$2,781

$932 $932

111.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 CA$2,288

$540 $540

199.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,672 CA$5,192

$1,759 $1,759

108.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,113 CA$4,400

$715 $715

335.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

10.12

-53.95%

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

Last update for Smithers: October 12, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Smithers

$1.3K 53.9%

Quito

$309 31.6% 75.5% $953

Groceries & Markets

Smithers

$344 14.7%

Quito

$198 20.3% 42.4% $146

Eating Out

Smithers

$268 11.5%

Quito

$151 15.5% 43.5% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Smithers

$201 8.6%

Quito

$75 7.7% 62.8% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Smithers

$123 5.3%

Quito

$154 15.8% 25.7% $31

Getting Around

Smithers

$83 3.6%

Quito

$32 3.3% 61.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Smithers

$59 2.5%

Quito

$59 6% 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Smithers versus $491 in Quito. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Smithers versus $55.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Smithers

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

13:20 1:20 PM

15:20 3:20 PM

2 h ahead of Smithers

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,400

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Smithers Quito 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Smithers
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

Smithers vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Smithers is pricier by about 139%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,510 per month in Smithers and $1,467 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 205% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $642 per month in Smithers and $739 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 $978, than in Smithers at $2,340. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Smithers 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, Smithers makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.