Cost of living: Guayaquil vs. Miami
Thinking of moving to the US? Compare the cost of living in any city with your hometown.
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At a glance
Florida charges no state income tax, though day-to-day you'll likely need a car. Sending money home? Ria makes it fast and secure.
Life in Miami
Miami sits just a few feet above sea level between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades, with a tropical climate and a hurricane season that runs from June through November. PortMiami is the world's busiest cruise port, and downtown has the largest concentration of international banks in the US. About 70% of residents are Hispanic, and Little Havana is home to Cuban and Central American immigrants.
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More than half of residents were born abroad — a true gateway to Latin America.
Monthly breakdown
What everyday life costs in each city, side by side.
| Total |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $400 | $1,791 |
| Healthcare | $60 | $385 |
| Groceries | $105 | $457 |
| Utilities | $100 | $280 |
| Transit | $20 | $113 |
| Other | $415 | $542 |
Estimated monthly costs for one adult: typical rent across the metro area, USDA's moderate-cost food plan and U.S. government spending data — a typical budget, not a minimum.
Sources, updated September 2026: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (Regional Price Parities, 2024); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Surveys, 2024; Consumer Price Index); U.S. Department of Agriculture (Food Plans, July 2026); Federal Communications Commission (Urban Rate Survey, 2026); U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (Fair Market Rents, FY2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration (weekly retail gasoline prices); official fare pages of each city's transit agency; Latin America: crowdsourced cost-of-living platforms, used for reference.
Guayaquil figures are collected from online sources.
Cost of living by US city
15 cities, ranked by monthly cost for one person
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Frequently asked questions
Is Miami more expensive than Guayaquil?
For one adult, Miami is 3.2× more expensive than Guayaquil: about $3,568 a month, compared with about $1,100 in Guayaquil.
What is the monthly cost difference between Guayaquil and Miami?
About $2,468 a month for one adult: $3,568 in Miami versus $1,100 in Guayaquil. Change the number of adults above to see your household's figures.
Which costs change the most between Guayaquil and Miami?
Healthcare shows the biggest jump: it costs 6.4× as much in Miami as in Guayaquil.
How does rent compare between Guayaquil and Miami?
A one-bedroom apartment rents for about $1,791 a month in Miami and about $400 in Guayaquil. Rents exclude utilities.
Can a minimum-wage job cover the costs in Miami?
A full-time minimum-wage job in Miami ($14.00 an hour) pays about $2,427 a month before taxes. Typical costs for one adult there are about $3,568 a month. Add your income above to see what would be left each month.
How is the cost of living measured?
We add up typical monthly costs for one adult in six categories: housing, healthcare, groceries, utilities, transit and other everyday spending. U.S. figures are calculated from government data (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, HUD and the Energy Information Administration) plus transit agencies' published fares. Latin American figures come from crowdsourced cost-of-living platforms, and their healthcare costs are a modeled estimate. Minimum wages are each city's local rate where it has one, otherwise the state rate published by the U.S. Department of Labor. Both cities' figures were last updated in 2026.
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