Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Gatos, CA and Alexandria, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria, VA: $3,249 a month against $4,903 in Los Gatos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

236

Cost of Living Index in Los Gatos, CA
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Los Gatos, CA Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, VA
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Alexandria, VA Living Index

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Los Gatos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,903

/mo nomad

Alexandria, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Gatos, CA and in Alexandria, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,903 in Los Gatos, CA versus $3,249 in Alexandria, VA.

Los Gatos, CA $4,903
Alexandria, VA $3,249

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,295 in Los Gatos, CA versus $4,722 in Alexandria, VA.

Los Gatos, CA $7,295
Alexandria, VA $4,722

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,686 in Los Gatos, CA versus $6,195 in Alexandria, VA.

Los Gatos, CA $9,686
Alexandria, VA $6,195

Living in Los Gatos, CA is roughly 51% more expensive than in Alexandria, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Gatos, CA 263% above, Alexandria, VA 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 $25.15

$20.18 $20.18

24.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$103 $103

-4.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.83 $11.83

25.78%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.52 $4.52

43.81%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.73 $2.73

11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.25 $2.25

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$6.58 $6.58

22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$8.86 $8.86

-7.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.18 $1.18

8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.88 $3.88

13.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.80 $3.80

26.32%

Eggs

$6.56 $6.56

$4.53 $4.53

44.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.81 $24.81

$16.40 $16.40

51.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 $11.69

$15.22 $15.22

-23.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$20.04 $20.04

-35.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$6.10 $6.10

-8.52%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.34 $1.34

131.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$7.55 $7.55

-35.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$7.84 $7.84

-27.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.14 $2.14

58.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.61 $2.61

48.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.73 $2.73

12.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.44 $2.44

11.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 $7.36

$9.34 $9.34

-21.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 $12.81

$14.35 $14.35

-10.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.75 $1.75

22.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.66 $3.66

-30.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.5 $51.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.08 $4.08

-2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.98 $1.98

151.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.13 $25.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.02 $1.02

53.92%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$36.8K $36.8K

-17.84%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.6K $25.6K

3.08%

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

$374 $374

$240 $240

55.77%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$53.7 $53.7

8.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 $61.8

$77.2 $77.2

-19.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$147 $147

$72.4 $72.4

102.83%

Cinema Ticket

$17.05 $17.05

$18.33 $18.33

-6.98%

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

$2,282 $2,282

$2,034 $2,034

12.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$65.5K $65.5K

-63.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 $52.0

$48.10 $48.10

8.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$47.90 $47.90

-18.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 $75.1

$122 $122

-38.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 $60.3

$134 $134

-55.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,440 $3,440

$2,315 $2,315

48.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,222 $3,222

$1,737 $1,737

85.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 $3,390

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,089 $6,089

$2,776 $2,776

119.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,511 $3,511

$6,743 $6,743

-47.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,049 $4,049

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,951 $5,951

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.64

0.75%

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

Last update for Los Gatos, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alexandria, VA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Gatos, CA

$3.2K 65.7%

Alexandria, VA

$1.7K 53.5% 46.1% $1.5K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Gatos, CA

$494 10.1%

Alexandria, VA

$371 11.4% 24.9% $123

Groceries & Markets

Los Gatos, CA

$473 9.6%

Alexandria, VA

$474 14.6% 0.2% $1

Eating Out

Los Gatos, CA

$403 8.2%

Alexandria, VA

$322 9.9% 20.1% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Los Gatos, CA

$181 3.7%

Alexandria, VA

$109 3.4% 39.7% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Los Gatos, CA

$102 2.1%

Alexandria, VA

$158 4.9% 55.2% $56

Getting Around

Los Gatos, CA

$29 * 0.6%

Alexandria, VA

$78 2.4% 169% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,440 in Los Gatos, CA and $2,315 in Alexandria, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Los Gatos, CA vs $103 in Alexandria, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $474 per month, with Los Gatos, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Gatos, CA

🇺🇸 Alexandria, VA

🕒 Local time

11:31 11:31 AM

14:31 2:31 PM

3 h ahead of Los Gatos, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,222

160,035

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Los Gatos, CA Alexandria, VA 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Los Gatos, CA
Alexandria, VA

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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 Gatos, CA vs Alexandria, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Gatos, CA and Alexandria, VA differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($4,903 vs $3,249 including rent). Alexandria, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $7,355 in Los Gatos, CA and $4,874 in Alexandria, VA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,440 in Los Gatos, CA versus $2,315 in Alexandria, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,282 in Los Gatos, CA versus $2,034 in Alexandria, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria, VA – a meal for two runs $103 versus $99.0 in Los Gatos, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Alexandria, VA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Los Gatos, CA and Alexandria, VA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alexandria, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Los Gatos, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.