San Martín de los Andes vs Quito
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in San Martín de los Andes cheaper — −21%
Ready-made house
✓in Quito cheaper — −55%
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per month✓San Martín de los Andes≈ $547–772ARS 850k – 1.2Mcheaper by 21%Quito$460–1,200$460–1,200Precipitation
per yearSan Martín de los Andes1,500 mm1,500 mmQuito1,098 mm1,098 mmReady-made house
purchaseSan Martín de los Andes$295–400k$295–400k✓Quito$85–230k$85–230kcheaper by 55%
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Housing
San Martín de los Andes
In the eastern suburb, 2 bedrooms are about ARS 1.0 million a month, a 120 m² house is USD 1,200 plus expensas. The center and prestigious neighborhoods go up to USD 2,500/month. Listings are few.
SpecialistLong-term rental listings — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, local agencies · checked 30 Aug 2026
The most expensive land among the cities checked: Las Nalcas, USD 37–55k for 1,000–1,180 m² with underground utilities; good plots near town, about USD 95k for 800 m².
SpecialistListings for land and houses for sale — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, Argenprop · checked 1 Sep 2026
A decent 105 m² house is about USD 295k, a 120 m² house in the center about USD 400k. The expensive segment is noticeably higher.
SpecialistListings for land and houses for sale — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, Argenprop · checked 1 Sep 2026
Quito
An apartment with three or more bedrooms on RE/MAX listings is mostly 460-1200 dollars a month, median 690. In the north by La Carolina park and Quito Tenis the median is 1200.
SpecialistRE/MAX Ecuador: all active listings of apartments for rent (the site's open data) · checked 6 Oct 2026
A house with three or more bedrooms in the canton of Quito on RE/MAX listings is mostly 85-230k dollars, median 138k. An apartment with three or more bedrooms: median 112k.
SpecialistRE/MAX Ecuador: all active listings of houses for sale (the site's open data) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Money and prices
San Martín de los Andes
Regional estimate: the minimum food basket for a family of four in Patagonia is ARS 708,288 a month (June 2026). This is not a measurement in the city itself.
OfficialIPIEC (Tierra del Fuego) - Evolución de las canastas básicas, región Patagonia, first half of 2026 · checked 1 Oct 2026
Regional estimate: the poverty line excluding rent for a family of four is ARS 1,784,886 a month (June 2026, Patagonia). Add rent on top. Not a measurement in the city.
OfficialIPIEC (Tierra del Fuego) - Evolución de las canastas básicas, región Patagonia, first half of 2026 · checked 1 Oct 2026
Quito
In INEC's official basket for a family of four in Quito, food and drinks cost 372 dollars a month (August 2026), of which 48 is eating out.
OfficialINEC: basic family consumption basket (CFBC) by city, August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
INEC's poverty line for a family of four is 370 dollars a month. INEC's basic basket for four in Quito is 846, including 175 for rent.
OfficialINEC: bulletin on income poverty, ENEMDU, December 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Family and kids
San Martín de los Andes
From 2026, public kindergartens are being converted into Escuelas Infantiles with younger age groups; Jardín Nº12 has already enrolled a sala de 2. The best of the cities checked for early childhood.
OfficialState kindergartens in San Martín are moving to the Escuelas Infantiles format · checked 31 Aug 2026
Quito
Nothing yet
Healthcare
San Martín de los Andes
Hospital Dr. Ramón Carrillo works as a regional hospital; in 2026 specialist positions are still being filled.
OfficialBoletín Oficial Neuquén — staffing of Hospital Ramón Carrillo, 2026 · checked 27 Aug 2026
Quito
The public Eugenio Espejo hospital has 416 beds and 110 specialist consulting rooms. The Baca Ortiz children's hospital has 361 beds, paediatric ICU and neonatal intensive care.
OfficialEcuadorian Ministry of Public Health: Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo · checked 6 Oct 2026
Transport
San Martín de los Andes
Chapelco (Aviador Carlos Campos) on RN 40 between San Martín and Junín, serving both towns. Regular flights: Aerolíneas Argentinas.
OfficialAviador Carlos Campos airport (Chapelco) · checked 27 Aug 2026
Quito
Mariscal Sucre international airport is in Tababela, 24 km from the city. From December 2026 Air Canada flies direct to Montreal and Toronto.
SpecialistQuiport: about the Quito airport concessionaire · checked 6 Oct 2026
Quito has a metro line with 15 stations. In July 2026 it carried 5.4 million trips, and 154 million since opening.
OfficialMetro de Quito: home page, "Metro en cifras" · checked 6 Oct 2026
Climate
San Martín de los Andes
About 1,500 mm a year, 1–10 °C by day in winter, 9–27 °C in summer. 10–40 km further east it is noticeably drier, while the Andes remain close.
OfficialSan Martín de los Andes municipal tourism — climate · checked 27 Aug 2026
Quito
There is no winter as a season: all year round it is about 10 degrees at night and 21-22 by day. In June-August nights are 9.4-9.8 and days 21-22; this is the dry season.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Quito 1981-2010 · checked 6 Oct 2026
About 1100 mm a year. Dry in June-August, 22-40 mm and 7-10 rainy days a month. The wettest month is April: 171 mm and 20 days with rain.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Quito 1981-2010 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Safety
San Martín de los Andes
SEGEMAR 2025: floods and slope movements; on the Ruta de los Siete Lagos the main risk is landslides, mudflows and rockfalls. In July 2026 a slide of mud and rocks closed RN 40.
OfficialSEGEMAR 2025 — hazard map of the San Martín / Villa La Angostura area · checked 28 Aug 2026
Neuquén province in 2025: 5.7 per 100k, the highest of all provinces (average 3.6), up 32.5% from 2024. The figure is driven by the provincial capital; there is no separate data for San Martín.
OfficialSNIC — Informe del Sistema Nacional de Información Criminal, year 2025, table 5 (intentional homicides by province) · checked 9 Sep 2026
Quito
Guagua Pichincha, 12 km to the west, covered Quito in ash in 1999-2000. Cotopaxi, 45 km away, could send mudflows into the Los Chillos valley.
OfficialIG-EPN: Guagua Pichincha volcano · checked 6 Oct 2026
Pichincha with Quito is on the list of provinces under a state of emergency from 15 Sep 2026. Pickpocketing and muggings are common, especially in the old town and at stations.
OfficialUK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: travel advice for Ecuador · checked 6 Oct 2026
Internet and phone
San Martín de los Andes
COTESMA fiber up to 1,000 Mbps, with symmetric connections and a rural service available. The best of the cities checked, but check coverage by the exact address.
SpecialistCOTESMA — internet and coverage maps · checked 2 Sep 2026
Quito
Netlife sells 850 Mbit/s fibre for 33.93 dollars a month including tax, 16.96 for the first 9 months. The provider has 16 service points in Quito.
SpecialistNetlife: home fibre-optic internet plans · checked 6 Oct 2026
Services
San Martín de los Andes
Piped gas is supplied by Camuzzi, which has accepted connection requests again since 5 January 2026. Tariff from 1 August 2026: ARS 250.11 per m³ plus a fixed part, before taxes. Electricity: EPEN.
SpecialistCamuzzi — gas connections resume in the Cordillera · checked 1 Oct 2026
Quito
Electricity is 0.078-0.105 dollars per kWh by block plus 1.41 a month. 300 kWh comes to about 28 dollars before the street lighting and fire service charges.
OfficialRegistro Oficial No. 380, 9th supplement: resolution ARCONEL-009/2026, electricity tariffs for October-December 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
As of 2024, a cubic metre of water in Quito cost 0.31 dollars for use up to 8 m³ and 0.40 at 16-30 m³. We could not open the utility's full tariff schedule.
SpecialistPrimicias: Quito municipality discusses a water tariff increase · checked 6 Oct 2026

