Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Los Angeles, CA

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.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index
203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
Learn more

Los Angeles, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito and in Los Angeles, CA

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 Angeles, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Quito $979
Los Angeles, CA $4,259

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

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

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

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

Living in Quito costs roughly 77% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 $6.14

$27.00 $27.00

-77.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$122 $122

-55.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$14.98 $14.98

-47.86%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$5.84 $5.84

-41.44%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$3.77 $3.77

-61.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.67 $2.67

-57.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 $3.48

$8.05 $8.05

-56.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$9.84 $9.84

-40.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.30 $1.30

-12.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$4.84 $4.84

-68.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$4.48 $4.48

-66.29%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$6.14 $6.14

-64.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$11.32 $11.32

-43.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$15.78 $15.78

-65.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$19.94 $19.94

-60.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$5.24 $5.24

-55.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.33 $2.33

-46.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$4.69 $4.69

-72.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$5.65 $5.65

-79.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$3.28 $3.28

-63.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.88 $2.88

-64.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.10 $2.10

-55.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.44 $2.44

-56.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 $6.02

$12.78 $12.78

-52.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$15.05 $15.05

-34.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.96 $2.96

-46.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.81 $2.81

9.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$1.79 $1.79

-79.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

$104 $104

-79.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.08 $3.08

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.88 $1.88

-18.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$31.58 $31.58

-68.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.62 $1.62

-46.30%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$37.7K $37.7K

-44.29%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

8.42%

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

$28.97 $28.97

$288 $288

-89.94%

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

$17.57 $17.57

$77.9 $77.9

-77.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 $28.14

$80.5 $80.5

-65.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 $46.48

$74.2 $74.2

-37.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

$11.90 $11.90

48.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 $6.38

$19.79 $19.79

-67.76%

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

$746 $746

$1,678 $1,678

-55.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,015 $9,015

$31.9K $31.9K

-71.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$91.3 $91.3

-24.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$65.7 $65.7

-23.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$121 $121

-3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$206 $206

-47.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 $478

$2,545 $2,545

-81.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$2,443 $2,443

-87.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$5,518 $5,518

-82.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 $549

$4,275 $4,275

-87.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$7,211 $7,211

-75.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 $720

$6,930 $6,930

-89.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$4,173 $4,173

-85.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.86

47.52%

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

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$313 31.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 680% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1% 137% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$156 15.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2% 40.1% $62

Eating Out

Quito

$153 15.5%

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9% 172% $264

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6% 498% $372

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7% 92.1% $55

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9% 291% $92

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $478 in Quito and $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. 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: $54.0 in Quito vs $122 in Los Angeles, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $467 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

04:28 4:28 AM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

4,030,904

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Quito
Los Angeles, CA

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 Angeles, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 599% lower in Los Angeles, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $478 in Quito versus $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. 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 $746 in Quito versus $1,678 in Los Angeles, CA. 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.