Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulcán and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulcán: $920 a month against $1,015 in Quito, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

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Tulcán

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$920

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $920 per month in Tulcán vs $1,015 in Quito, rent included.

Tulcán $920
Quito $1,015

A couple spends around $1,503 per month in Tulcán vs $1,636 in Quito, rent included.

Tulcán $1,503
Quito $1,636

A family of three spends $2,086 per month in Tulcán vs $2,258 in Quito, rent included.

Tulcán $2,086
Quito $2,258

Tulcán is about 9% cheaper than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tulcán and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Tulcán 32% lower, Quito 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 $5.41

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 $54.1

$55.2 $55.2

-1.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 $7.44

$7.66 $7.66

-2.87%

Cappuccino

$3.29 $3.29

$3.31 $3.31

-0.60%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$1.36 $1.36

5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.09 $1.09

-4.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.46 $3.46

-1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$5.85 $5.85

4.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.09 $1.09

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.55 $1.55

0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.56 $1.56

-3.21%

Eggs

$2.07 $2.07

$2.16 $2.16

-4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$6.45 $6.45

-3.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.22 $5.22

-0.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 $7.61

$7.66 $7.66

-0.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.34 $2.34

-3.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.20 $1.20

2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.27 $1.27

-0.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.12 $1.12

-1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.19 $1.19

4.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.90 $0.90

-3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.00 $1.00

-1.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 $6.09

$6.14 $6.14

-0.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 $8.41

$8.62 $8.62

-2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.58 $1.58

-3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.10 $3.10

2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 $0.39

$0.36 $0.36

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 $21.34

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.46 $1.46

5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 $10.05

$10.07 $10.07

-0.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.86 $0.86

1.16%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$23.3K $23.3K

-0.82%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$30.5K $30.5K

-3.34%

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

$28.27 $28.27

$28.33 $28.33

-0.21%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$18.08 $18.08

-0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.72 $28.72

$28.84 $28.84

-0.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.61 $31.61

$42.86 $42.86

-26.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.41 $14.41

$17.92 $17.92

-19.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 $6.56

$6.75 $6.75

-2.81%

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

$750 $750

-0.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,960 $8,960

$8,967 $8,967

-0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 $70.7

$69.7 $69.7

1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.23 $49.23

$49.06 $49.06

0.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$112 $112

1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$110 $110

-2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 $483

$548 $548

-11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 $302

$362 $362

-16.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 $786

$1,126 $1,126

-30.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 $545

$637 $637

-14.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,654 $1,654

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 $664

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 $606

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

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

Last update for Tulcán: October 26, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tulcán

$302 32.9%

Quito

$362 35.6% 19.6% $59

Groceries & Markets

Tulcán

$189 20.6%

Quito

$192 18.9% 1.2% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Tulcán

$153 16.7%

Quito

$153 15.1% 0% $0

Eating Out

Tulcán

$144 15.7%

Quito

$145 14.3% 0.4% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tulcán

$75 8.2%

Quito

$75 7.4% 0.4% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tulcán

$45 4.9%

Quito

$56 5.6% 26% $12

Getting Around

Tulcán

$11 * 1.2%

Quito

$32 3.2% 196% $21

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 $548 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 $54 in Tulcán versus $55 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $192 – making Tulcán the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Tulcán

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

Same time as Tulcán

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,734

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tulcán Quito 140 km

From you

Tulcán
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

Tulcán vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quito is pricier by about 10%, 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 $1,522 in Quito. 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 $548 in Quito.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $920 in Tulcán and $1,015 in Quito. That makes Tulcán about 9% cheaper.

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

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $920 in Tulcán and $1,015 in Quito, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Quito has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $920 in Tulcán to $1,015 in Quito. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.