Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ketchikan, AK

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $3,104 in Ketchikan, AK, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Ketchikan, AK
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Ketchikan, AK Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ketchikan, AK

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $3,104 in Ketchikan, AK.

Austin, TX $2,689
Ketchikan, AK $3,104

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $4,242 in Ketchikan, AK.

Austin, TX $4,112
Ketchikan, AK $4,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,380 in Ketchikan, AK.

Austin, TX $5,534
Ketchikan, AK $5,380

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 13% less than in Ketchikan, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Ketchikan, AK 130% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$27.76 $27.76

-23.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$82.4 $82.4

6.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.47 $11.47

8.46%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.09 $5.09

10.02%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.71 $2.71

34.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.03 $2.03

17.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$7.57 $7.57

3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$7.39 $7.39

18.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.75 $1.75

-36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.55 $3.55

1.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.27 $4.27

-18.03%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.31 $4.31

3.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$12.61 $12.61

4.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$11.70 $11.70

19.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$17.35 $17.35

-5.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.96 $4.96

-4.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.62 $1.62

-7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.37 $4.37

6.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.79 $4.79

-5.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.70 $2.70

-5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.39 $3.39

-29.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.19 $2.19

-15.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.43 $2.43

-12.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$9.87 $9.87

1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.22 $2.22

27.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.64 $3.64

-9.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.99 $1.99

-38.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$59.1 $59.1

-29.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.92 $3.92

-31.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.56 $1.56

4.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$28.88 $28.88

21.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.20 $1.20

-18.33%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$29.7K $29.7K

15.85%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.54%

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

$252 $252

$200 $200

26.38%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$57.5 $57.5

4.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$135 $135

-48.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$40.43 $40.43

49.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$17.98 $17.98

-23.53%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,219 $1,219

19.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$19.5K $19.5K

36.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$57.1 $57.1

-7.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$43.71 $43.71

4.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$82.9 $82.9

3.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$120 $120

-12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,781 $1,781

23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,618 $1,618

-21.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,366 $2,366

69.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,156 $2,156

11.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$3,323 $3,323

122.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$3,412 $3,412

-13.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$4,559 $4,559

10.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.59

3.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 52.1% 27.5% $349

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Ketchikan, AK

$413 13.3% 1.3% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Ketchikan, AK

$392 12.6% 2.7% $10

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Ketchikan, AK

$389 12.5% 9.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Ketchikan, AK

$137 4.4% 5% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Ketchikan, AK

$76 2.5% 13.1% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Ketchikan, AK

$79 2.5% 37.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,781 in Ketchikan, AK. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $82 in Ketchikan, AK. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $413, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

14:28 2:28 PM

3 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Ketchikan, AK 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ketchikan, AK

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

Austin, TX vs Ketchikan, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Ketchikan, AK. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,781 in Ketchikan, AK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $1,219 in Ketchikan, AK. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ketchikan, AK – a meal for two runs $82 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.