Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Los Alamos, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM, rent and utilities included – about $610 less a year. The total is higher in Los Alamos, NM despite lower rent and utilities.

49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,065

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Quito vs $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Quito $1,014
Los Alamos, NM $1,065

A couple spends around $1,641 per month in Quito vs $1,652 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Quito $1,641
Los Alamos, NM $1,652

A family of three spends $2,269 per month in Quito vs $2,239 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Quito $2,269
Los Alamos, NM $2,239

Quito is about 5% cheaper than Los Alamos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Quito and Los Alamos, NM are more affordable than the global median – Quito 25% lower, Los Alamos, NM 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 $5.55

$17.06 $17.06

-67.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$40.31 $40.31

35.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 $7.63

$9.88 $9.88

-22.77%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$4.99 $4.99

-33.27%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$2.57 $2.57

-47.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.47 $1.47

-22.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 $3.69

$6.10 $6.10

-39.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$6.99 $6.99

-11.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.96 $0.96

19.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.14 $2.14

-24.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$4.53 $4.53

-66.67%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$3.98 $3.98

-45.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$11.84 $11.84

-45.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$9.66 $9.66

-44.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$17.42 $17.42

-55.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.86 $4.86

-54.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.49 $1.49

-16.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.90 $2.90

-56.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$4.37 $4.37

-75.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.09 $1.09

13.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$3.38 $3.38

-68.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.95 $1.95

-53.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.48 $0.48

104.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 $5.95

$11.03 $11.03

-46.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 $8.35

$14.19 $14.19

-41.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.39 $2.39

-36.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.58 $3.58

-10.61%

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

$3.98 $3.98

-61.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.16 $2.16

-29.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$34.85 $34.85

-71.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.87 $0.87

-2.30%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$29.5K $29.5K

-22.98%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

15.89%

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

$28.99 $28.99

$159 $159

-81.75%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$39.48 $39.48

-54.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 $28.85

$71.0 $71.0

-59.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 $45.09

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$13.22 $13.22

-48.94%

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

$743 $743

$1,343 $1,343

-44.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,223 $8,223

$23.1K $23.1K

-64.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$20.01 $20.01

248.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$42.97 $42.97

17.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$103 $103

9.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$120 $120

-10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 $542

$1,089 $1,089

-50.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$1,868 $1,868

-38.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

$3,337 $3,337

-50.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 $663

$3,316 $3,316

-80.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 $603

$8,290 $8,290

-92.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.76

49.70%

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$354 34.9%

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$193 19%

Los Alamos, NM

$339 31.8% 75.9% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Los Alamos, NM

$128 12.1% 16% $24

Eating Out

Quito

$148 14.6%

Los Alamos, NM

$287 26.9% 93.5% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$76 7.5%

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.3% 255% $194

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 5.8%

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.5% 54.9% $32

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Los Alamos, NM

$15 * 1.4% 53.8% $17

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 $1,089 in Los Alamos, 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 Los Alamos, NM are about 14 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito versus $40 in Los Alamos, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Quito vs $339 in Los Alamos, NM – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

13:56 1:56 PM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

13,179

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Quito Los Alamos, NM 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Los Alamos, 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 Los Alamos, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Los Alamos, NM is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,521 per month in Quito and $1,597 in Los Alamos, 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 $1,089 in Los Alamos, NM.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,014 in Quito and $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM. That makes Quito about 5% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $743 per month in Quito and $1,343 in Los Alamos, NM. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,014 in Quito and $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Quito – 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 Quito. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Los Alamos, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.