Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Taos, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,014 a month against $2,778 in Taos, NM, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Taos, NM
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Taos, NM Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,014

/mo nomad

Taos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Quito vs $2,778 in Taos, NM, rent included.

Quito $1,014
Taos, NM $2,778

A couple spends around $1,641 per month in Quito vs $4,133 in Taos, NM, rent included.

Quito $1,641
Taos, NM $4,133

A family of three spends $2,269 per month in Quito vs $5,489 in Taos, NM, rent included.

Quito $2,269
Taos, NM $5,489

Quito is about 63% cheaper than Taos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 25% below the global median, while Taos, NM is 105% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 $5.55

$17.53 $17.53

-68.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$59.7 $59.7

-8.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 $7.63

$9.57 $9.57

-20.27%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$3.97 $3.97

-16.12%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$2.31 $2.31

-41.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.18 $2.18

-47.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 $3.69

$5.09 $5.09

-27.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.55 $5.55

10.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.84 $0.84

36.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.95 $2.95

-45.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$4.35 $4.35

-65.29%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$3.84 $3.84

-44.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$12.02 $12.02

-46.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$9.33 $9.33

-42.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$11.09 $11.09

-29.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.59 $4.59

-51.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.46 $1.46

-15.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$4.26 $4.26

-70.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$5.08 $5.08

-78.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$3.22 $3.22

-61.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$3.35 $3.35

-68.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.04 $2.04

-55.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.53 $2.53

-61.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 $5.95

$11.11 $11.11

-46.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 $8.35

$13.81 $13.81

-39.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.49 $2.49

-38.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.29 $3.29

-2.74%

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

$4.03 $4.03

-62.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.14 $2.14

-28.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$34.71 $34.71

-71.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.90 $0.90

-5.56%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$29.5K $29.5K

-23.04%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

16.08%

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

$28.99 $28.99

$156 $156

-81.44%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$63.5 $63.5

-71.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 $28.85

$63.9 $63.9

-54.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 $45.09

$94.2 $94.2

-52.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 $17.78

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$8.87 $8.87

-23.90%

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

$743 $743

$1,357 $1,357

-45.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,223 $8,223

$23.7K $23.7K

-65.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$54.6 $54.6

27.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$43.64 $43.64

15.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$106 $106

6.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$119 $119

-10.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 $542

$1,788 $1,788

-69.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

$1,589 $1,589

-77.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$3,592 $3,592

-68.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$2,899 $2,899

-78.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

$3,762 $3,762

-56.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 $663

$3,820 $3,820

-82.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 $603

$2,660 $2,660

-77.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.3

60.63%

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

Last update for Quito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Taos, NM: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$354 34.9%

Taos, NM

$1.6K 57.2% 348% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$193 19%

Taos, NM

$362 13.1% 88.1% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$153 15.1%

Taos, NM

$145 5.2% 4.9% $7.6

Eating Out

Quito

$148 14.6%

Taos, NM

$271 9.8% 83% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$76 7.5%

Taos, NM

$284 10.2% 274% $208

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 5.8%

Taos, NM

$112 4% 91% $53

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Taos, NM

$15 * 0.5% 54% $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 $1,788 in Taos, 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 Taos, NM are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Quito versus $60 in Taos, NM. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $362 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 Taos, NM

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

11:03 11:03 AM

2 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

6,000

💱 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 Taos, NM 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Taos, 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 Taos, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Taos, NM is pricier by about 174%, 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 $4,167 in Taos, 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 $1,788 in Taos, NM.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,014 in Quito and $2,778 in Taos, NM. That makes Quito about 63% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $743 per month in Quito and $1,357 in Taos, NM. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Taos, NM at $2,778. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taos, NM it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Taos, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.