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Puerto Escondido vs Quito cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฒ๐ฝ Puerto Escondido
๐ช๐จ Quito
At a glance
- Where Quito is clearly cheaper: Transit (46%โ), Street food (44%โ), Laundry (38%โ)
- Where Puerto Escondido is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (37%โ), Haircut (35%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (28%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Quito is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: getting around โ Puerto Escondido 3 vs Quito 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Puerto Escondido | Quito | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | MX$ 100$5.38 | $ 5$5 | Quito โ7% |
| Street food1 item | MX$ 50$2.69 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Quito โ44% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | MX$ 280$15.1 | $ 18$18 | Puerto Escondido โ16% |
| Coffeeone cup | MX$ 55$2.96 | $ 3$3 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | MX$ 60$3.23 | $ 3$3 | Quito โ7% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | MX$ 130$6.99 | $ 6$6 | Quito โ14% |
| Bottled water | MX$ 14$0.75 | $ 0.7$0.7 | Quito โ7% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | MX$ 22$1.18 | $ 1$1 | Quito โ15% |
| Taxi5 km in town | MX$ 80$4.3 | $ 5$5 | Puerto Escondido โ14% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | MX$ 40$2.15 | $ 3$3 | Puerto Escondido โ28% |
| Transitone ride | MX$ 12$0.65 | $ 0.35$0.35 | Quito โ46% |
| Scooter rentalper day | MX$ 350$18.8 | $ 15$15 | Quito โ20% |
| Hotel night3-star | MX$ 1,100$59.1 | $ 55$55 | Quito โ7% |
| Studio rent (month) | MX$ 12,000$645 | $ 450$450 | Quito โ30% |
| Laundry | MX$ 30$1.61 | $ 1$1 | Quito โ38% |
| SIM card1 week data | MX$ 200$10.8 | $ 10$10 | Quito โ7% |
| Haircutcut | MX$ 120$6.45 | $ 10$10 | Puerto Escondido โ35% |
| Massage1 hour | MX$ 700$37.6 | $ 25$25 | Quito โ34% |
| Half-day tourper person | MX$ 800$43 | $ 30$30 | Quito โ30% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | MX$ 100$5.38 | $ 8.5$8.5 | Puerto Escondido โ37% |
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, Puerto Escondido or Quito?
Quito is 13% cheaper than Puerto Escondido. Daily budget $109 vs $109; a month $2,516 vs $1,830.
Which is easier to travel, Puerto Escondido or Quito?
Quito is easier: Quito 2.8/5 vs Puerto Escondido 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Puerto Escondido and Quito?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Puerto Escondido is about $2,516 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.