Ethyl and n-propyl esters of carboxylic acids are prepared in good yield from methanol, syngas and a carboxylic acid by contacting a mixture of the carboxylic acid, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methanol with a catalyst composition comprising a ruthenium-containing compound, a cobalt-containing compound and a quaternary onium salt or base, and heating the resulting mixture at an elevated temperature and pressure for sufficient time to produce the desired ethyl and propyl esters, and then recovering the same from the reaction mixture.