Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aspen, CO and Los Angeles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Angeles, CA: $4,060 a month against $5,133 in Aspen, CO, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Aspen, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

248

Cost of Living Index in Aspen, CO
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Aspen, CO Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$5,133

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aspen, CO and in Los Angeles, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aspen, CO and in Los Angeles, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $5,133 per month in Aspen, CO vs $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Aspen, CO $5,133
Los Angeles, CA $4,060

A couple spends around $7,501 per month in Aspen, CO vs $6,104 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Aspen, CO $7,501
Los Angeles, CA $6,104

A family of three spends $9,870 per month in Aspen, CO vs $8,148 in Los Angeles, CA, rent included.

Aspen, CO $9,870
Los Angeles, CA $8,148

Aspen, CO costs about 26% more than Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Aspen, CO and Los Angeles, CA sit above the global median – Aspen, CO by 277%, Los Angeles, CA by 198%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$27.02 $27.02

-25.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$121 $121

-34.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 $10.99

$15.21 $15.21

-27.74%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$5.78 $5.78

0.69%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.79 $3.79

-7.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.69 $2.69

9.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.76 $7.76

-11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.98 $9.98

-19.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.29 $1.29

-8.53%

White Bread (500g)

$5.32 $5.32

$4.68 $4.68

13.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$4.58 $4.58

40.17%

Eggs

$5.75 $5.75

$5.35 $5.35

7.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$11.27 $11.27

3.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.86 $10.86

$16.16 $16.16

-32.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$19.42 $19.42

-10.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$5.24 $5.24

8.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.33 $2.33

-37.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$4.62 $4.62

33.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$5.56 $5.56

12.77%

Potato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.38 $3.38

23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.93 $2.93

29.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.95 $1.95

77.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.43 $2.43

13.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 $10.41

$11.99 $11.99

-13.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.18 $17.18

$15.05 $15.05

14.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.94 $2.94

-37.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.71 $2.71

83.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 $89.3

$105 $105

-14.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.05 $3.05

-16.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.87 $1.87

-23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.11 $24.11

$32.19 $32.19

-25.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.57 $1.57

-35.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.3K $28.3K

$34.5K $34.5K

-17.90%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K $26.5K

$27.0K $27.0K

-1.67%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$151 $151

$280 $280

-46.00%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$78.4 $78.4

-9.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.1 $75.1

$79.1 $79.1

-5.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$137 $137

$71.2 $71.2

92.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

Cinema Ticket

$16.17 $16.17

$18.32 $18.32

-11.74%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,722 $1,722

10.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K $30.2K

$31.7K $31.7K

-5.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 $70.1

$91.6 $91.6

-23.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.73 $48.73

$65.7 $65.7

-25.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 $90.3

$117 $117

-22.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$210 $210

-30.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,013 $4,013

$2,547 $2,547

57.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,599 $3,599

$2,295 $2,295

56.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,964 $7,964

$5,372 $5,372

48.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,465 $6,465

$4,158 $4,158

55.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$7,171 $7,171

48.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,609 $7,609

$6,923 $6,923

9.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,994 $4,994

$4,204 $4,204

18.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.86

-4.52%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aspen, CO: October 26, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aspen, CO

$3.6K 70.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 56.5% 36.2% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Aspen, CO

$469 9.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$462 11.4% 1.5% $7.2

Eating Out

Aspen, CO

$340 6.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$416 10.2% 22.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aspen, CO

$297 5.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.8% 47.3% $141

Sport & Entertainment

Aspen, CO

$169 3.3%

Los Angeles, CA

$108 2.7% 36.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Aspen, CO

$160 3.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.4% 36.6% $58

Getting Around

Aspen, CO

$99 * 1.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3.1% 25.2% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,013 in Aspen, CO versus $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Aspen, CO, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Aspen, CO versus $121 in Los Angeles, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $469 in Aspen, CO vs $462 in Los Angeles, CA – so Los Angeles, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

1 h behind Aspen, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

4,030,904

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Aspen, CO Los Angeles, CA 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Aspen, CO
Los Angeles, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aspen, CO vs Los Angeles, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aspen, CO costs about 26% more than Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,699 per month in Aspen, CO and $6,090 in Los Angeles, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Angeles, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,547 there versus $4,013 in Aspen, CO.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Aspen, CO and $121 in Los Angeles, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Aspen, CO. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$4,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $5,133 in Aspen, CO and $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Los Angeles, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Los Angeles, CA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aspen, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.