Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,684 per month in Vancouver vs $979 in Quito, rent included.

Vancouver $2,684
Quito $979

A couple spends around $3,878 per month in Vancouver vs $1,607 in Quito, rent included.

Vancouver $3,878
Quito $1,607

A family of three spends $5,072 per month in Vancouver vs $2,234 in Quito, rent included.

Vancouver $5,072
Quito $2,234

Vancouver costs about 174% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Vancouver sits 100% above the global median, while Quito is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.61

$6.14 $6.14

181.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.1

$53.9 $53.9

27.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.02

$7.81 $7.81

35.21%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.53

$3.42 $3.42

13.74%

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

$2.05 CA$2.92

$1.44 $1.44

42.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.14 $1.14

42.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.89

$3.48 $3.48

59.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.00

$5.89 $5.89

7.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.29

$1.14 $1.14

102.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$1.54 $1.54

62.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.32

$1.51 $1.51

194.04%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.79

$2.16 $2.16

88.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.04

$6.40 $6.40

76.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.09

$5.48 $5.48

144.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.59

$7.81 $7.81

157.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.77

$2.33 $2.33

74.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.89

$1.24 $1.24

7.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.56

$1.31 $1.31

198.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.77

$1.14 $1.14

255.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.87

$1.21 $1.21

124.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.11

$1.02 $1.02

183.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.60

$0.93 $0.93

172.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.30

$1.05 $1.05

54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.15

$6.02 $6.02

158.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$19.99

$9.93 $9.93

41.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.82

$1.59 $1.59

69.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$3.08 $3.08

-2.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.47

$0.37 $0.37

559.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

$20.95 $20.95

297.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.86

$1.54 $1.54

75.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.23

$1.53 $1.53

2.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.65

$10.01 $10.01

213.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$0.87 $0.87

58.62%

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

$28.1K CA$39.9K

$21.0K $21.0K

33.76%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$28.6K $28.6K

-30.60%

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

$81.2 CA$115

$28.97 $28.97

180.15%

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

$37.45 CA$53.3

$17.57 $17.57

113.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.1

$28.14 $28.14

82.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$61.8

$46.48 $46.48

-6.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.82

$17.70 $17.70

-29.21%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.84

$6.38 $6.38

96.55%

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

$1,094 CA$1,557

$746 $746

46.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.3K

$9,015 $9,015

120.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.1

$68.8 $68.8

-17.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.56

$50.4 $50.4

-35.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$117 $117

-21.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$109 $109

-13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,483

$478 $478

265.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,111

$313 $313

373.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,264

$967 $967

209.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,446

$549 $549

341.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$1,763 $1,763

353.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,184

$720 $720

796.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,404

$597 $597

536.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

10.12

-57.71%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Quito

$313 31.8% 78.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Quito

$198 20.1% 50.4% $201

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Quito

$153 15.5% 43.7% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Quito

$75 7.6% 56.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Quito

$156 15.8% 25% $31

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

Quito

$32 3.2% 69.5% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Quito

$59 6% 13.6% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,745 in Vancouver 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 537% higher in Vancouver, 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 $69.0 in Vancouver versus $54.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

19:10 7:10 PM

21:10 9:10 PM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Quito 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
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

Vancouver vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 174%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,026 per month in Vancouver and $1,468 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 298% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,094 per month in Vancouver and $746 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 $979, than in Vancouver at $2,684. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver 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, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.