Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulcán and Guayaquil

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulcán: $920 a month against $1,235 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Tulcán
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Tulcán Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
Learn more

Guayaquil Living Index

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Tulcán

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$920

/mo nomad

Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $920 per month in Tulcán vs $1,235 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Tulcán $920
Guayaquil $1,235

A couple spends around $1,503 per month in Tulcán vs $1,918 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Tulcán $1,503
Guayaquil $1,918

A family of three spends $2,086 per month in Tulcán vs $2,600 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Tulcán $2,086
Guayaquil $2,600

Tulcán is about 25% cheaper than Guayaquil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tulcán and Guayaquil are more affordable than the global median – Tulcán 32% lower, Guayaquil 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 $5.41

$3.91 $3.91

38.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 $54.1

$53.3 $53.3

1.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 $7.44

$8.76 $8.76

-15.07%

Cappuccino

$3.29 $3.29

$2.82 $2.82

16.67%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$0.94 $0.94

53.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.68 $0.68

52.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.03 $3.03

12.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.35 $4.35

41.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.22 $1.22

-9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.93 $1.93

-19.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.45 $1.45

4.14%

Eggs

$2.07 $2.07

$2.06 $2.06

0.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$7.02 $7.02

-11.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.23 $5.23

-0.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 $7.61

$9.29 $9.29

-18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.48 $1.48

52.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.15 $1.15

6.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.98 $0.98

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$0.90 $0.90

22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.23 $1.23

0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.93 $0.93

9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.81 $0.81

7.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.97 $0.97

2.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 $6.09

$5.90 $5.90

3.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 $8.41

$12.15 $12.15

-30.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.56 $1.56

-2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.15 $2.15

47.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 $0.39

$0.34 $0.34

14.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 $20.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.72 $2.72

-43.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.72 $1.72

-10.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 $10.05

$12.07 $12.07

-16.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.84 $0.84

3.57%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

0.08%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$30.8K $30.8K

-4.38%

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

$28.27 $28.27

$128 $128

-77.97%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$14.99 $14.99

19.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.72 $28.72

$25.69 $25.69

11.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.61 $31.61

$44.63 $44.63

-29.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.41 $14.41

$26.98 $26.98

-46.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 $6.56

$7.55 $7.55

-13.11%

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

$750 $750

$370 $370

102.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,960 $8,960

$5,607 $5,607

59.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 $70.7

$64.1 $64.1

10.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.23 $49.23

$40.54 $40.54

21.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$126 $126

-10.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$93.4 $93.4

14.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 $483

$656 $656

-26.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 $302

$505 $505

-40.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 $786

$1,001 $1,001

-21.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 $545

$929 $929

-41.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,039 $2,039

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 $1,205

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 $622

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

10.05

0.70%

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

Last update for Tulcán: October 26, 2026

Last update for Guayaquil: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tulcán

$302 32.9%

Guayaquil

$505 40.9% 66.9% $202

Groceries & Markets

Tulcán

$189 20.6%

Guayaquil

$200 16.2% 5.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Tulcán

$153 16.7%

Guayaquil

$146 11.8% 4.8% $7.3

Eating Out

Tulcán

$144 15.7%

Guayaquil

$122 9.9% 15.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tulcán

$75 8.2%

Guayaquil

$169 13.7% 126% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Tulcán

$45 4.9%

Guayaquil

$60 4.8% 33.5% $15

Getting Around

Tulcán

$11 * 1.2%

Guayaquil

$33 2.7% 210% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $483 in Tulcán 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Tulcán versus $53 in Guayaquil. Groceries tell a different story – $189 in Tulcán vs $200 in Guayaquil – so Tulcán wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Tulcán

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

Same time as Tulcán

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,734

3,500,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Tulcán Guayaquil 430 km

From you

Tulcán
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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

Tulcán vs Guayaquil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guayaquil is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,380 per month in Tulcán 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 Tulcán, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $483 there versus $656 in Guayaquil.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Guayaquil, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $750 per month in Tulcán and $370 in Guayaquil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Tulcán, where all-in costs run around $920, than in Guayaquil at $1,235. In Tulcán 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 $920 in Tulcán to $1,235 in Guayaquil. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.