Ouagadougou vs Quito Cost of Living Comparison
Takeaway for Ouagadougou vs Quito: everyday costs favor Ouagadougou (~14% CPI gap), housing index favors Ouagadougou, wage stretch favors Quito. Use category winners, not a single headline, when the binding constraint is rent or income.
Overall Cost Winner
Ouagadougou
Lower overall CPI; largest measurable gaps: Purchasing Power (114% gap, Quito ahead); Transport (100% gap, Quito ahead).
Monthly Cost Difference
Estimated monthly housing+utilities+internet basket is about $85 lower in Ouagadougou than in Quito (~17% gap; converted via exchange rates).
Estimated monthly difference: $85 (favoring Ouagadougou).
Category Winners
| Category | Winner | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Overall CPI | Ouagadougou | CPI 22.4 vs 25.6 (lower is better) |
| Housing | Ouagadougou | Rent index 13 vs 15.3 (lower is better) |
| Food | Ouagadougou | Groceries index 31.3 vs 35.6 (lower is better) |
| Transport | Quito | One-way ticket 0.38 vs 245.22 (lower is better) |
| Utilities | Quito | Utilities (85m²) 30.6 vs 15704 (lower is better) |
| Internet | Quito | Internet 19.67 vs 11880.68 (lower is better) |
| Restaurants | Ouagadougou | Restaurant index 22 vs 25 (lower is better) |
| Salary | Ouagadougou | Avg net salary 587933.6 vs 2083.2 (higher is better) |
| Purchasing Power | Quito | PP index 33.6 vs 15.7 (higher is better) |
Biggest Difference
Purchasing Power: Quito leads with a 114% gap.
PP index 33.6 vs 15.7 (higher is better)
Quick Decision
- Students: Ouagadougou — Lower housing / rent index (18% gap).
- Families: Ouagadougou — Housing is typically the largest household line; rent index favors Ouagadougou; purchasing power favors Quito.
- Remote Workers: Ouagadougou — Everyday cost index (CPI) favors Ouagadougou (~14% gap).
- Budget Living: Ouagadougou — Lowest overall consumer-price index in this pair.
Key Takeaways
- Ouagadougou is the overall cost winner on CPI (~14% lower everyday-cost index than Quito).
- Housing: Ouagadougou leads on rent index (18% gap).
- Food / groceries: Ouagadougou is lower (14% gap).
- Purchasing power: Quito scores higher (114% gap).
- Largest category gap: Purchasing Power (114%), favoring Quito.
- Sample monthly basket (1BR + utilities + internet) is ~$85 cheaper in Ouagadougou.
Analysis
Ouagadougou versus Quito is not a single number. With a 14% CPI spread, groceries and services tend to move with Ouagadougou, while housing follows Ouagadougou's rent index. Purchasing power (15.7 vs 33.6) decides whether local wages offset local prices.
Trust & data transparency
Last updated: 2026-08-20
Data Sources
This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):
- Regional
- Regional
On-page labels for this view: Regional · Regional.
Methodology
Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.