Loja, Ecuador

← Ecuador cost of living · public guide

Cost of living in Loja

Real monthly costs in Loja, Ecuador — USD, from the same data behind the Pro model.

Photo: David C. S., CC BY-SA 4.0.

Loja ranks 3rd of 9 priced cities in Ecuador on cost — $423 a month in essentials, 36% above Riobamba, the cheapest. The average net salary of $491 covers that 1.2×. 89.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at parish level. PM2.5 averages 7.6 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5. Jul averages 17°C, Sep 18°C.

Essentials / mo$423rent + bills + food + transit
Men per 100 women89.5ages 20–39, parish level
Avg net salary$491monthly, after tax
Safety score75/100higher = safer

Monthly cost breakdown

Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget.

ItemMonthly USD
Rent, 1-bed outside centre$173
Rent, 1-bed city centre$263
Groceries$97
Dining out$76
Utilities$47
Local transport$30
Essentials / mo$423
Avg net salary$491
Rent, 3-bed outside centre$295
Rent, 3-bed city centre$385

Single person, USD. Data updated July 27, 2026.

Everyday prices

What single items cost in Loja, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these.

Eating out

ItemUSD
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.00
Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses$20.50
McMeal at McDonald's$5.50
Cappuccino, regular$2.25
Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught$1.25
Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle$3.50
Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L$0.75
Water, 0.33 L bottle$0.44

Groceries

ItemUSD
Milk, 1 L$1.00
White bread, 500 g$1.50
White rice, 1 kg$1.29
Eggs, 12$1.96
Local cheese, 1 kg$5.46
Chicken fillets, 1 kg$4.17
Apples, 1 kg$1.67
Bananas, 1 kg$1.08
Tomatoes, 1 kg$1.10
Potatoes, 1 kg$1.08
Onions, 1 kg$1.05
Water, 1.5 L bottle$1.13

Transport & bills

ItemUSD
One-way ticket, local transport$0.32
Monthly transit pass$30.00
Taxi start$1.00
Taxi, 1 km$1.12
Gasoline, 1 L$0.71
Basic utilities, 85 m² flat$20.00
Internet, 60 Mbps+$27.13
Mobile plan, monthly$10.54

Leisure

ItemUSD
Gym, monthly$30.00
Cinema, one seat$7.00

Dating-age sex ratio

Loja has 89.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (parish level). That is the 9th-highest of 10 Ecuador cities we track. Ecuador's national figure is 102, so Loja runs 12 below the country as a whole.

A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.

Climate & air

Ten-year monthly means, 2015–2024 — a climate profile, not a forecast.

Air qualityPM2.5 7.6µg/m³, annual mean
Warmest month18°CSep
Coolest month17°CJul
Wettest month254 mmMar
MonthAvgFeelsHumidityCloudRain
Jan17.7°C18.4°C80%81%201 mm
Feb17.9°C18.8°C81%87%182 mm
Mar17.8°C18.8°C82%90%254 mm
Apr17.9°C18.6°C80%82%165 mm
May18°C18.5°C78%70%93 mm
Jun17.3°C16.9°C74%65%70 mm
Jul16.9°C16.1°C72%58%47 mm
Aug17.6°C16.7°C67%54%29 mm
Sep18.5°C17.9°C64%60%33 mm
Oct18.4°C18.5°C70%76%84 mm
Nov18.2°C18.5°C72%81%121 mm
Dec18.1°C18.7°C77%80%191 mm

Need the full Ecuador model?

Open the gated deep-dive for city shortlist, cost detail, weather, visa, tax, dating-market signals, and subregion rankings.

Unlock Ecuador deep-dive