Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Las Cruces, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Las Cruces, NM
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Las Cruces, NM Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Las Cruces, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,085

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Las Cruces, NM

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

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Quito vs $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Quito $1,014
Las Cruces, NM $2,085

A couple spends around $1,641 per month in Quito vs $3,045 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Quito $1,641
Las Cruces, NM $3,045

A family of three spends $2,269 per month in Quito vs $4,004 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Quito $2,269
Las Cruces, NM $4,004

Quito is about 51% cheaper than Las Cruces, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 25% below the global median, while Las Cruces, NM is 54% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 $5.55

$17.44 $17.44

-68.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$44.67 $44.67

22.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 $7.63

$12.08 $12.08

-36.84%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$5.80 $5.80

-42.59%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$2.51 $2.51

-45.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.10 $2.10

-45.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 $3.69

$6.51 $6.51

-43.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$9.19 $9.19

-32.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.79 $0.79

45.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$3.61 $3.61

-55.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.71 $3.71

-59.30%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$4.69 $4.69

-54.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$13.32 $13.32

-51.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$11.95 $11.95

-55.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$17.43 $17.43

-55.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.30 $4.30

-48.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.03 $2.03

-38.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$3.35 $3.35

-62.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$3.87 $3.87

-72.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.24 $2.24

-44.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.42 $2.42

-56.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.77 $1.77

-48.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.84 $1.84

-46.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 $5.95

$10.82 $10.82

-45.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 $8.35

$14.96 $14.96

-44.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.34 $2.34

-35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.49 $3.49

-8.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 $21.42

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.29 $2.29

-33.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.31 $2.31

-33.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.93 $0.93

-8.60%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$27.8K $27.8K

-18.39%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$24.3K $24.3K

21.86%

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

$28.99 $28.99

$171 $171

-83.01%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$59.0 $59.0

-69.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 $28.85

$87.7 $87.7

-67.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 $45.09

$44.18 $44.18

2.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

$10.91 $10.91

62.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$9.97 $9.97

-32.30%

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

$743 $743

$680 $680

9.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,223 $8,223

$6,476 $6,476

26.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$60.0 $60.0

16.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$32.32 $32.32

55.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$84.6 $84.6

33.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$99.4 $99.4

7.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 $542

$857 $857

-36.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

$865 $865

-59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$1,521 $1,521

-24.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$1,447 $1,447

-55.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

$2,279 $2,279

-28.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 $663

$1,900 $1,900

-65.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 $603

$3,635 $3,635

-83.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.36

59.12%

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Las Cruces, NM: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$354 34.9%

Las Cruces, NM

$865 41.5% 144% $511

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$193 19%

Las Cruces, NM

$385 18.5% 100% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Las Cruces, NM

$124 6% 18.7% $29

Eating Out

Quito

$148 14.6%

Las Cruces, NM

$315 15.1% 113% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$76 7.5%

Las Cruces, NM

$317 15.2% 319% $241

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 5.8%

Las Cruces, NM

$64 3.1% 9.4% $5.5

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Las Cruces, NM

$14 * 0.7% 56.7% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $542 in Quito versus $857 in Las Cruces, NM. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Las Cruces, NM are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito versus $45 in Las Cruces, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Quito vs $385 in Las Cruces, NM – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 Las Cruces, NM

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

111,385

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quito Las Cruces, NM 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Las Cruces, NM

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

Quito vs Las Cruces, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Cruces, NM costs about 106% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,521 per month in Quito and $3,127 in Las Cruces, NM. 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 $857 in Las Cruces, NM.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito and $45 in Las Cruces, NM. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 100% more in Las Cruces, NM, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Las Cruces, NM at $2,085. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Las Cruces, NM it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Quito has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,014 in Quito to $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Quito. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Las Cruces, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.