Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Alamos, NM and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM, rent and utilities included – about $610 less a year. The total is higher in Los Alamos, NM despite lower rent and utilities.

51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,065

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Alamos, NM and in Quito

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

A single person spends $1,065 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $1,014 in Quito, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,065
Quito $1,014

A couple spends around $1,652 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $1,641 in Quito, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,652
Quito $1,641

A family of three spends $2,239 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $2,269 in Quito, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $2,239
Quito $2,269

Los Alamos, NM costs about 5% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Los Alamos, NM and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Los Alamos, NM 21% lower, Quito 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 $17.06

$5.55 $5.55

207.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.31 $40.31

$54.6 $54.6

-26.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$7.63 $7.63

29.49%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$3.33 $3.33

49.85%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$1.36 $1.36

88.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.14 $1.14

28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.69 $3.69

65.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$6.16 $6.16

13.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.15 $1.15

-16.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.61 $1.61

32.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$1.51 $1.51

200.00%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$2.15 $2.15

85.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 $11.84

$6.47 $6.47

83.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 $9.66

$5.33 $5.33

81.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.42 $17.42

$7.77 $7.77

124.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.23 $2.23

117.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.24 $1.24

20.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.27 $1.27

128.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.08 $1.08

304.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.24 $1.24

-12.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.06 $1.06

218.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.91 $0.91

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.98 $0.98

-51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.03 $11.03

$5.95 $5.95

85.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.19 $14.19

$8.35 $8.35

69.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.52 $1.52

57.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.20 $3.20

11.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.53 $1.53

160.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.53 $1.53

41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.85 $34.85

$10.01 $10.01

248.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.85 $0.85

2.35%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$22.7K $22.7K

29.83%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$29.6K $29.6K

-13.71%

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

$159 $159

$28.99 $28.99

448.02%

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

$39.48 $39.48

$17.94 $17.94

120.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$28.85 $28.85

146.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 $45.09

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 $13.22

$6.75 $6.75

95.85%

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

$1,343 $1,343

$743 $743

80.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$8,223 $8,223

180.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.01 $20.01

$69.8 $69.8

-71.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 $42.97

$50.3 $50.3

-14.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$113 $113

-8.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$107 $107

11.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 $1,089

$542 $542

101.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 $1,868

$1,141 $1,141

63.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,337 $3,337

$1,636 $1,636

104.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,316 $3,316

$663 $663

400.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,290 $8,290

$603 $603

1274.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

10.12

-33.20%

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

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: October 31, 2026

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Los Alamos, NM

$339 31.8%

Quito

$193 19% 43.2% $146

Eating Out

Los Alamos, NM

$287 26.9%

Quito

$148 14.6% 48.3% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.3%

Quito

$76 7.5% 71.9% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Los Alamos, NM

$128 12.1%

Quito

$153 15.1% 19% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.5%

Quito

$59 5.8% 122% $32

Getting Around

Los Alamos, NM

$15 * 1.4%

Quito

$32 3.2% 116% $17

Accommodation & Living

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0%

Quito

$354 34.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,089 in Los Alamos, NM versus $542 in Quito. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Los Alamos, NM are about 14 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Los Alamos, NM versus $55 in Quito. Groceries tell a different story – $339 in Los Alamos, NM vs $193 in Quito – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

18:45 6:45 PM

2 h ahead of Los Alamos, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,179

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Los Alamos, NM Quito 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Alamos, NM
Quito

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

Los Alamos, NM vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Los Alamos, NM is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,597 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $1,521 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $542 there versus $1,089 in Los Alamos, NM.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM and $1,014 in Quito. That makes Quito about 5% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,343 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $743 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM and $1,014 in Quito, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Quito – 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 Quito. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Los Alamos, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.