Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Gatos, CA and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $4,903 in Los Gatos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $47,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Los Gatos, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$4,903
/mo nomad
Quito
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$978
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,903 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $978 in Quito, rent included.

  • Los Gatos, CA $4,903
  • Quito $978

A couple spends around $7,295 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $1,586 in Quito, rent included.

  • Los Gatos, CA $7,295
  • Quito $1,586

A family of three spends $9,686 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $2,194 in Quito, rent included.

  • Los Gatos, CA $9,686
  • Quito $2,194

Los Gatos, CA costs about 401% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Los Gatos, CA sits 263% above the global median, while Quito is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Los Gatos, CA
Quito
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.15 $25.15
$6.08 $6.08
313.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.6 $98.6
$55.5 $55.5
77.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.88 $14.88
$7.61 $7.61
95.53%
Cappuccino
$6.50 $6.50
$3.40 $3.40
91.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 $3.04
$1.37 $1.37
121.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$1.09 $1.09
124.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.07 $8.07
$3.43 $3.43
135.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.20 $8.20
$6.06 $6.06
35.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Los Gatos, CA
Quito
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.14 $1.14
12.28%
White Bread (500g)
$4.41 $4.41
$1.60 $1.60
175.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.80 $4.80
$1.58 $1.58
203.80%
Eggs
$6.56 $6.56
$2.12 $2.12
209.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.81 $24.81
$6.58 $6.58
277.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.69 $11.69
$5.51 $5.51
112.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.00 $13.00
$7.65 $7.65
69.93%
Apples (1kg)
$5.58 $5.58
$2.24 $2.24
149.11%
Banana (1kg)
$3.10 $3.10
$1.19 $1.19
160.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.86 $4.86
$1.33 $1.33
265.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.70 $5.70
$1.13 $1.13
404.42%
Potato (1kg)
$3.39 $3.39
$1.24 $1.24
173.39%
Onion (1kg)
$3.88 $3.88
$1.02 $1.02
280.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.06 $3.06
$0.92 $0.92
232.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.72 $2.72
$1.05 $1.05
159.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.36 $7.36
$6.16 $6.16
19.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.81 $12.81
$10.07 $10.07
27.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.58 $1.58
36.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 $2.55
$3.09 $3.09
-17.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Los Gatos, CA
Quito
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.36 $0.36
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$21.37 $21.37
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.97 $3.97
$1.53 $1.53
159.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.98 $4.98
$1.49 $1.49
234.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$9.84 $9.84
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 $1.57
$0.81 $0.81
93.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.2K $30.2K
$21.3K $21.3K
42.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K $26.4K
$27.9K $27.9K
-5.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Los Gatos, CA
Quito
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$374 $374
$28.75 $28.75
1202.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$17.86 $17.86
224.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.8 $61.8
$28.20 $28.20
119.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Los Gatos, CA
Quito
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$147 $147
$46.08 $46.08
218.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.76 $17.76
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.05 $17.05
$6.34 $6.34
168.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Los Gatos, CA
Quito
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,282 $2,282
$739 $739
208.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.0K $24.0K
$8,909 $8,909
169.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Los Gatos, CA
Quito
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.0 $52.0
$71.0 $71.0
-26.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.24 $39.24
$50.4 $50.4
-22.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.1 $75.1
$114 $114
-34.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.3 $60.3
$107 $107
-43.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Los Gatos, CA
Quito
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,440 $3,440
$491 $491
601.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,222 $3,222
$309 $309
943.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$932 $932
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$6,089 $6,089
$540 $540
1026.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,511 $3,511
$1,759 $1,759
99.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$715 $715
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Los Gatos, CA
Quito
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$594 $594
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
10.12
-33.89%

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 Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Los Gatos, CA
$3.2K
Quito
$309 90.4% $2.9K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Los Gatos, CA
$494
Quito
$75 84.9% $419
Groceries & Markets
Los Gatos, CA
$473
Quito
$198 58.1% $275
Eating Out
Los Gatos, CA
$403
Quito
$151 62.4% $251
Sport & Entertainment
Los Gatos, CA
$181
Quito
$59 67.5% $122
Clothing & Footwear
Los Gatos, CA
$102
Quito
$154 51.3% $52
Getting Around
Los Gatos, CA
$29 *
Quito
$32 10% $2.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,440 in Los Gatos, CA versus $491 in Quito. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Los Gatos, CA versus $55.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $473 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Los Gatos, CA
🇪🇨 Quito
🕒 Local time
12:31 12:31 PM
14:31 2:31 PM
2 h ahead of Los Gatos, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
30,222
2,671,191 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Los Gatos, CA Quito 6,100 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Los Gatos, 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 Gatos, CA vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Los Gatos, CA or Quito?
Los Gatos, CA costs about 401% more than Quito, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Los Gatos, CA and in Quito?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,355 per month in Los Gatos, CA and $1,467 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Los Gatos, CA or Quito?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Los Gatos, CA and in Quito?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Los Gatos, CA and $55.0 in Quito. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Los Gatos, CA or in Quito?
Groceries cost about 139% more in Los Gatos, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Los Gatos, CA or in Quito?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Los Gatos, CA at $4,903. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Los Gatos, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Los Gatos, CA or Quito?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quito costs $978 versus $4,903 in Los Gatos, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Los Gatos, CA compared to Quito?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Los Gatos, CA or to Quito?
If budget matters most, go with Quito. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Los Gatos, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Los Gatos, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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