Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tepic and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $1,100 in Tepic, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tepic
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,100
/mo nomad
Quito
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$978
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,100 per month in Tepic vs $978 in Quito, rent included.

  • Tepic $1,100
  • Quito $978

A couple spends around $1,808 per month in Tepic vs $1,586 in Quito, rent included.

  • Tepic $1,808
  • Quito $1,586

A family of three spends $2,516 per month in Tepic vs $2,194 in Quito, rent included.

  • Tepic $2,516
  • Quito $2,194

Tepic costs about 13% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tepic and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Tepic 18% lower, Quito 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tepic
Quito
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.45 MX$249
$6.08 $6.08
121.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.40 MX$820
$55.5 $55.5
-19.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.21 MX$170
$7.61 $7.61
21.02%
Cappuccino
$3.24 MX$59.9
$3.40 $3.40
-4.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 MX$31.90
$1.37 $1.37
26.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 MX$22.64
$1.09 $1.09
12.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$3.43 $3.43
-18.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.02 MX$92.8
$6.06 $6.06
-17.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tepic
Quito
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$27.89
$1.14 $1.14
32.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 MX$45.20
$1.60 $1.60
53.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 MX$31.24
$1.58 $1.58
6.96%
Eggs
$2.11 MX$38.94
$2.12 $2.12
-0.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.90 MX$90.5
$6.58 $6.58
-25.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$175
$5.51 $5.51
72.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.69 MX$216
$7.65 $7.65
52.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.81 MX$52.0
$2.24 $2.24
25.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 MX$29.26
$1.19 $1.19
32.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$36.53
$1.33 $1.33
48.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.72
$1.13 $1.13
61.06%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.37
$1.24 $1.24
62.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 MX$33.77
$1.02 $1.02
79.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 MX$26.98
$0.92 $0.92
58.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 MX$19.83
$1.05 $1.05
1.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.8
$6.16 $6.16
-30.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.56 MX$195
$10.07 $10.07
4.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.44
$1.58 $1.58
-50.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 MX$62.1
$3.09 $3.09
8.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Tepic
Quito
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 MX$15.42
$0.36 $0.36
130.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$21.37 $21.37
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 MX$41.34
$1.53 $1.53
46.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.33 MX$24.65
$1.49 $1.49
-10.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.03 MX$222
$9.84 $9.84
22.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$0.81 $0.81
76.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$392.2K
$21.3K $21.3K
-0.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.4K
$27.9K $27.9K
-14.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tepic
Quito
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$44.05 MX$814
$28.75 $28.75
53.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.13 MX$224
$17.86 $17.86
-32.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.94 MX$572
$28.20 $28.20
9.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tepic
Quito
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.03 MX$629
$46.08 $46.08
-26.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.32 MX$376
$17.76 $17.76
14.41%
Cinema Ticket
$6.62 MX$122
$6.34 $6.34
4.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tepic
Quito
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$253 MX$4,676
$739 $739
-65.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K MX$198.2K
$8,909 $8,909
20.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tepic
Quito
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 MX$1,105
$71.0 $71.0
-15.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.45 MX$729
$50.4 $50.4
-21.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$1,998
$114 $114
-5.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.4 MX$1,542
$107 $107
-22.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tepic
Quito
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$518 MX$9,568
$491 $491
5.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$360 MX$6,658
$309 $309
16.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,027 MX$19.0K
$932 $932
10.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$752 MX$13.9K
$540 $540
39.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,837 MX$33.9K
$1,759 $1,759
4.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,128 MX$20.8K
$715 $715
57.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tepic
Quito
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 MX$12.1K
$594 $594
10.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.68
10.12
15.42%

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

Last update for Tepic: October 11, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tepic
$360
Quito
$309 14.3% $51
Groceries & Markets
Tepic
$253
Quito
$198 21.6% $55
Eating Out
Tepic
$210
Quito
$151 27.9% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Tepic
$131
Quito
$154 17.9% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tepic
$87
Quito
$75 14.1% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Tepic
$47
Quito
$59 24.3% $11
Getting Around
Tepic
$12 *
Quito
$32 160% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Tepic 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 11% higher in Tepic, 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 $44.00 in Tepic versus $55.0 in Quito. Groceries tell a different story – $253 in Tepic vs $198 in Quito – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Tepic
🇪🇨 Quito
🕒 Local time
21:16 9:16 PM
23:16 11:16 PM
2 h ahead of Tepic
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
371,387
2,671,191 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Tepic Quito 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tepic
  • 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
Tepic vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quito cheaper than Tepic?
Yes – Tepic is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,651 per month in Tepic and $1,467 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.
What are total monthly expenses in Tepic and in Quito?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,100 in Tepic and $978 in Quito. That's a gap of about 13%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $253 per month in Tepic and $739 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 Tepic or in Quito?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Tepic at $1,100. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tepic it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Tepic 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 safer, Tepic or Quito?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
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, Tepic makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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