Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Squamish, BC and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $2,634 in Squamish, BC, 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 Squamish, BC
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Squamish, BC Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,634

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,634 per month in Squamish, BC vs $978 in Quito, rent included.

Squamish, BC $2,634
Quito $978

A couple spends around $3,904 per month in Squamish, BC vs $1,586 in Quito, rent included.

Squamish, BC $3,904
Quito $1,586

A family of three spends $5,175 per month in Squamish, BC vs $2,194 in Quito, rent included.

Squamish, BC $5,175
Quito $2,194

Squamish, BC costs about 169% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Squamish, BC sits 95% above the global median, while Quito is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 CA$23.02

$6.08 $6.08

166.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.77 CA$69.3

$55.5 $55.5

-12.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.01 CA$14.23

$7.61 $7.61

31.54%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.60

$3.40 $3.40

15.88%

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

$1.79 CA$2.54

$1.37 $1.37

30.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.09

$1.09 $1.09

34.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.92

$3.43 $3.43

62.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 CA$8.00

$6.06 $6.06

-7.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 CA$2.50

$1.14 $1.14

54.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 CA$2.99

$1.60 $1.60

31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.92

$1.58 $1.58

118.99%

Eggs

$3.08 CA$4.39

$2.12 $2.12

45.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.38 CA$17.60

$6.58 $6.58

88.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 CA$21.23

$5.51 $5.51

170.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 CA$27.24

$7.65 $7.65

150.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 CA$7.55

$2.24 $2.24

137.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.65

$1.19 $1.19

-2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.97

$1.33 $1.33

268.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.93

$1.13 $1.13

207.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.16 CA$5.91

$1.24 $1.24

235.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.51

$1.02 $1.02

142.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.49

$0.92 $0.92

167.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.05 $1.05

77.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.86 CA$21.12

$6.16 $6.16

141.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 CA$15.04

$10.07 $10.07

5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 CA$4.03

$1.58 $1.58

79.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 CA$5.01

$3.09 $3.09

13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 CA$2.03

$0.36 $0.36

297.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.87 CA$42.46

$21.37 $21.37

39.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 CA$5.12

$1.53 $1.53

135.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.49 $1.49

-7.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.89 CA$35.38

$9.84 $9.84

152.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.61

$0.81 $0.81

39.51%

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

$26.2K CA$37.2K

$21.3K $21.3K

23.07%

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

$18.6K CA$26.4K

$27.9K $27.9K

-33.36%

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

$116 CA$166

$28.75 $28.75

305.08%

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

$42.93 CA$61.0

$17.86 $17.86

140.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 CA$89.0

$28.20 $28.20

121.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$72.6

$46.08 $46.08

10.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 CA$16.24

$6.34 $6.34

80.13%

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

$1,084 CA$1,541

$739 $739

46.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,273 CA$11.8K

$8,909 $8,909

-7.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 CA$73.2

$71.0 $71.0

-27.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 CA$57.5

$50.4 $50.4

-19.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 CA$113

$114 $114

-30.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 CA$135

$107 $107

-11.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 CA$2,225

$491 $491

218.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 CA$2,157

$309 $309

391.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,188 CA$4,532

$932 $932

241.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,719 CA$3,865

$540 $540

403.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,931 CA$8,433

$1,759 $1,759

237.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,077 CA$4,376

$594 $594

418.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

10.12

-53.36%

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

Last update for Squamish, BC: October 10, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 57.6%

Quito

$309 31.6% 79.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Squamish, BC

$396 15.1%

Quito

$198 20.3% 50% $198

Eating Out

Squamish, BC

$259 9.8%

Quito

$151 15.5% 41.5% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Squamish, BC

$222 8.4%

Quito

$75 7.7% 66.3% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Squamish, BC

$120 4.5%

Quito

$154 15.8% 28.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Squamish, BC

$74 2.8%

Quito

$59 6% 20.5% $15

Getting Around

Squamish, BC

$46 1.8%

Quito

$32 3.3% 31% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,565 in Squamish, BC 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.

Salaries run about 418% higher in Squamish, BC, 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 $49.00 in Squamish, BC versus $55.0 in Quito. Groceries tell a different story – $396 in Squamish, BC vs $198 in Quito – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

19:35 7:35 PM

2 h ahead of Squamish, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,512

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Squamish, BC Quito 6,980 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Squamish, BC
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

Squamish, BC vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Squamish, BC is pricier by about 169%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,951 per month in Squamish, BC 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 40% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,084 per month in Squamish, BC 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 Squamish, BC at $2,634. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Squamish, BC 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, Squamish, BC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.