Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

195

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
248

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

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,060

/mo nomad

Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$5,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Los Angeles, CA is about 21% cheaper than Aspen, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.02 $27.02

$20.05 $20.05

34.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$79.1 $79.1

52.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$10.99 $10.99

38.40%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.82 $5.82

-0.69%

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

$3.79 $3.79

$3.52 $3.52

7.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.95 $2.95

-8.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 $7.76

$6.88 $6.88

12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 $9.98

$8.03 $8.03

24.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.18 $1.18

9.32%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$5.32 $5.32

-12.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$6.42 $6.42

-28.66%

Eggs

$5.35 $5.35

$5.75 $5.75

-6.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$11.72 $11.72

-3.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$10.86 $10.86

48.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.42 $19.42

$17.38 $17.38

11.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$5.71 $5.71

-8.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.45 $1.45

60.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$6.15 $6.15

-24.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$6.27 $6.27

-11.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$4.16 $4.16

-18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.80 $3.80

-22.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.47 $3.47

-43.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.76 $2.76

-11.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.99 $11.99

$10.41 $10.41

15.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$17.18 $17.18

-12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.85 $1.85

58.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$4.96 $4.96

-45.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 $105

$89.3 $89.3

17.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.54 $2.54

20.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.43 $1.43

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 $32.19

$24.11 $24.11

33.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.01 $1.01

55.45%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.3K $28.3K

21.81%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.70%

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

$280 $280

$151 $151

85.17%

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

$78.4 $78.4

$70.8 $70.8

10.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.1 $79.1

$75.1 $75.1

5.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.2 $71.2

$137 $137

-47.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

Cinema Ticket

$18.32 $18.32

$16.17 $16.17

13.30%

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

$1,722 $1,722

$1,907 $1,907

-9.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$30.2K $30.2K

5.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 $91.6

$70.1 $70.1

30.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

$48.73 $48.73

34.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$90.3 $90.3

29.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 $210

$146 $146

44.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 $2,547

$4,013 $4,013

-36.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 $2,295

$3,599 $3,599

-36.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,372 $5,372

$7,964 $7,964

-32.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,158 $4,158

$6,465 $6,465

-35.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,171 $7,171

$10.6K $10.6K

-32.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,923 $6,923

$7,609 $7,609

-9.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,204 $4,204

$4,994 $4,994

-15.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.55

4.73%

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

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

Last update for Aspen, CO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 56.5%

Aspen, CO

$3.6K 70.1% 56.8% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$462 11.4%

Aspen, CO

$469 9.1% 1.6% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.8%

Aspen, CO

$297 5.8% 32.1% $141

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$416 10.2%

Aspen, CO

$340 6.6% 18.3% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.4%

Aspen, CO

$160 3.1% 26.8% $58

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3.1%

Aspen, CO

$99 * 1.9% 20.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$108 2.7%

Aspen, CO

$169 3.3% 56.9% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA versus $4,013 in Aspen, CO. 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 $121 in Los Angeles, CA versus $79 in Aspen, CO. Groceries tell a different story – $462 in Los Angeles, CA vs $469 in Aspen, CO – so Los Angeles, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Aspen, CO

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

08:55 8:55 AM

1 h ahead of Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

7,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Los Angeles, CA
Aspen, CO

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 Angeles, CA vs Aspen, CO: 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 $6,090 per month in Los Angeles, CA and $7,699 in Aspen, CO. 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 $121 in Los Angeles, CA and $79 in Aspen, CO. 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 $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA and $5,133 in Aspen, CO. 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aspen, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.