Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Angeles, CA and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $39,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Angeles, CA 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 Angeles, CA and in Quito actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA versus $979 in Quito.

Los Angeles, CA $4,259
Quito $979

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,607 in Quito.

Los Angeles, CA $6,260
Quito $1,607

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,234 in Quito.

Los Angeles, CA $8,260
Quito $2,234

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 335% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Los Angeles, CA is 218% above, Quito is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.00 $27.00

$6.14 $6.14

339.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$53.9 $53.9

126.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 $14.98

$7.81 $7.81

91.81%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$3.42 $3.42

70.76%

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

$3.77 $3.77

$1.44 $1.44

161.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.14 $1.14

134.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.48 $3.48

131.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.89 $5.89

67.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.14 $1.14

14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.54 $1.54

214.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$1.51 $1.51

196.69%

Eggs

$6.14 $6.14

$2.16 $2.16

184.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$6.40 $6.40

76.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$5.48 $5.48

187.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 $19.94

$7.81 $7.81

155.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$2.33 $2.33

124.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.24 $1.24

87.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$1.31 $1.31

258.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$1.14 $1.14

395.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.21 $1.21

171.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.02 $1.02

182.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.93 $0.93

125.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.05 $1.05

132.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.78 $12.78

$6.02 $6.02

112.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$9.93 $9.93

51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.59 $1.59

86.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.08 $3.08

-8.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.37 $0.37

383.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$20.95 $20.95

396.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.54 $1.54

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.53 $1.53

22.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.58 $31.58

$10.01 $10.01

215.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.87 $0.87

86.21%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$21.0K $21.0K

79.50%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$28.6K $28.6K

-7.77%

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

$288 $288

$28.97 $28.97

893.89%

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

$77.9 $77.9

$17.57 $17.57

343.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$28.14 $28.14

186.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 $74.2

$46.48 $46.48

59.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 $11.90

$17.70 $17.70

-32.77%

Cinema Ticket

$19.79 $19.79

$6.38 $6.38

210.19%

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

$1,678 $1,678

$746 $746

124.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$9,015 $9,015

253.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 $91.3

$68.8 $68.8

32.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

$50.4 $50.4

30.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$117 $117

3.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 $206

$109 $109

88.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 $2,545

$478 $478

432.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,443 $2,443

$313 $313

680.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,518 $5,518

$967 $967

470.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,275 $4,275

$549 $549

678.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,211 $7,211

$1,763 $1,763

309.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,930 $6,930

$720 $720

862.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,173 $4,173

$597 $597

599.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

10.12

-32.21%

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8%

Quito

$313 31.8% 87.2% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1%

Quito

$198 20.1% 57.7% $270

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6%

Quito

$75 7.6% 83.3% $372

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9%

Quito

$153 15.5% 63.3% $264

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2%

Quito

$156 15.8% 28.6% $62

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9%

Quito

$32 3.2% 74.4% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7%

Quito

$59 6% 47.9% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA and $478 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays 599% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $122 in Los Angeles, CA vs $54.0 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $467 vs $198 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

00:39 12:39 AM

2 h ahead of Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA Quito 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Quito is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 335% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 599% higher in Los Angeles, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA versus $478 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Quito runs roughly 396% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,678 in Los Angeles, CA versus $746 in Quito. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $979 in Quito versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Los Angeles, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quito is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Los Angeles, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 335% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.