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Guayaquil vs Quito cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ช๐จ Guayaquil
๐ช๐จ Quito
At a glance
- Where Quito is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (57%โ), Street food (50%โ), Laundry (33%โ)
- Where Guayaquil is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (65%โ), Haircut (30%โ), Restaurant dinner (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Quito is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.6). Biggest gap: safety โ Guayaquil 5 vs Quito 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Guayaquil | Quito | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 4.5$4.5 | $ 5$5 | Guayaquil โ10% |
| Street food1 item | $ 3$3 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Quito โ50% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 15$15 | $ 18$18 | Guayaquil โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 3.5$3.5 | $ 3$3 | Quito โ14% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 2.5$2.5 | $ 3$3 | Guayaquil โ17% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 6$6 | $ 6$6 | similar |
| Bottled water | $ 0.6$0.6 | $ 0.7$0.7 | Guayaquil โ14% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 0.9$0.9 | $ 1$1 | Guayaquil โ10% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 4.5$4.5 | $ 5$5 | Guayaquil โ10% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 2.5$2.5 | $ 3$3 | Guayaquil โ17% |
| Transitone ride | $ 0.3$0.3 | $ 0.35$0.35 | Guayaquil โ14% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | $ 15$15 | Quito โ57% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 65$65 | $ 55$55 | Quito โ15% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 420$420 | $ 450$450 | Guayaquil โ7% |
| Laundry | $ 1.5$1.5 | $ 1$1 | Quito โ33% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 10$10 | $ 10$10 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 7$7 | $ 10$10 | Guayaquil โ30% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 25$25 | $ 25$25 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 30$30 | $ 30$30 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 3$3 | $ 8.5$8.5 | Guayaquil โ65% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Guayaquil or Quito?
Guayaquil and Quito cost about the same. Daily budget $114 vs $109; a month $1,702 vs $1,830.
Which is easier to travel, Guayaquil or Quito?
Quito is easier: Quito 2.8/5 vs Guayaquil 3.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Guayaquil and Quito?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Guayaquil is about $1,702 and Quito about $1,830 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.