Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $2,236 in Surrey, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Surrey
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,236
/mo nomad
Quito
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$979
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,236 per month in Surrey vs $979 in Quito, rent included.

  • Surrey $2,236
  • Quito $979

A couple spends around $3,522 per month in Surrey vs $1,607 in Quito, rent included.

  • Surrey $3,522
  • Quito $1,607

A family of three spends $4,808 per month in Surrey vs $2,234 in Quito, rent included.

  • Surrey $4,808
  • Quito $2,234

Surrey costs about 128% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Surrey sits 67% above the global median, while Quito is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surrey
Quito
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.87 CA$25.42
$6.14 $6.14
191.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.2 CA$78.5
$53.9 $53.9
2.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.26 CA$14.59
$7.81 $7.81
31.37%
Cappuccino
$3.63 CA$5.17
$3.42 $3.42
6.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 CA$3.00
$1.44 $1.44
46.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.23
$1.14 $1.14
37.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.65 CA$8.03
$3.48 $3.48
62.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 CA$8.46
$5.89 $5.89
1.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surrey
Quito
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.40 CA$3.41
$1.14 $1.14
110.53%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 CA$2.90
$1.54 $1.54
32.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.57 CA$5.08
$1.51 $1.51
136.42%
Eggs
$3.23 CA$4.60
$2.16 $2.16
49.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.63 CA$13.70
$6.40 $6.40
50.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.29 CA$14.63
$5.48 $5.48
87.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.56 CA$27.83
$7.81 $7.81
150.45%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.47
$2.33 $2.33
34.76%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 CA$1.86
$1.24 $1.24
5.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.94 CA$4.19
$1.31 $1.31
124.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.95 CA$4.19
$1.14 $1.14
158.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.54 CA$3.61
$1.21 $1.21
109.92%
Onion (1kg)
$2.05 CA$2.91
$1.02 $1.02
100.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.98 CA$2.81
$0.93 $0.93
112.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 CA$2.55
$1.05 $1.05
71.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.93 CA$19.82
$6.02 $6.02
131.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.12 CA$20.08
$9.93 $9.93
42.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.46 CA$3.50
$1.59 $1.59
54.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 CA$4.34
$3.08 $3.08
-0.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Surrey
Quito
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.67 CA$3.80
$0.37 $0.37
621.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 CA$150
$20.95 $20.95
403.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.57 CA$3.65
$1.54 $1.54
66.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 CA$2.12
$1.53 $1.53
-2.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.20 CA$38.69
$10.01 $10.01
171.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 CA$1.86
$0.87 $0.87
50.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K CA$39.5K
$21.0K $21.0K
32.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.5K CA$26.3K
$28.6K $28.6K
-35.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
Quito
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$185 CA$263
$28.97 $28.97
537.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.28 CA$51.6
$17.57 $17.57
106.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.2 CA$89.9
$28.14 $28.14
124.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
Quito
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.52 CA$49.10
$46.48 $46.48
-25.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.21 CA$35.85
$17.70 $17.70
42.43%
Cinema Ticket
$12.70 CA$18.06
$6.38 $6.38
99.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surrey
Quito
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$832 CA$1,183
$746 $746
11.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K CA$16.9K
$9,015 $9,015
32.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
Quito
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.2 CA$78.5
$68.8 $68.8
-19.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.3 CA$85.7
$50.4 $50.4
19.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.4 CA$137
$117 $117
-17.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.2 CA$125
$109 $109
-19.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surrey
Quito
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,327 CA$1,887
$478 $478
177.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,050 CA$1,494
$313 $313
235.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,676 CA$3,807
$967 $967
176.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,085 CA$2,965
$549 $549
279.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,553 CA$13.6K
$1,763 $1,763
441.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,388 CA$11.9K
$720 $720
1064.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surrey
Quito
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,988 CA$4,251
$597 $597
400.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
10.12
-51.88%

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

Last update for Surrey: 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
Surrey
$1.1K
Quito
$313 70.2% $737
Groceries & Markets
Surrey
$348
Quito
$198 43.3% $151
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
$284
Quito
$75 73.7% $210
Eating Out
Surrey
$272
Quito
$153 43.8% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
$135
Quito
$156 15.2% $21
Getting Around
Surrey
$126
Quito
$32 74.9% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
$60
Quito
$59 1.1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,327 in Surrey 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 401% higher in Surrey, 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 $55.0 in Surrey versus $54.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $348 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Surrey
🇪🇨 Quito
🕒 Local time
19:18 7:18 PM
21:18 9:18 PM
2 h ahead of Surrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
517,887
2,671,191 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Surrey Quito 6,930 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Surrey
  • 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
Surrey vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quito cheaper than Surrey?
Yes – Surrey is pricier by about 128%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,353 per month in Surrey and $1,468 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 404% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $832 per month in Surrey and $746 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Surrey or in Quito?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Surrey at $2,236. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Surrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Surrey or Quito more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Quito. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Surrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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