Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethel, AK and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $984 a month against $2,380 in Bethel, AK, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Bethel, AK
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Bethel, AK Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Bethel, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,380

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bethel, AK and in Quito

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,380 in Bethel, AK versus $984 in Quito.

Bethel, AK $2,380
Quito $984

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,720 in Bethel, AK versus $1,587 in Quito.

Bethel, AK $3,720
Quito $1,587

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,060 in Bethel, AK versus $2,189 in Quito.

Bethel, AK $5,060
Quito $2,189

Living in Bethel, AK is roughly 142% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bethel, AK is 76% above, Quito is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 $19.36

$6.07 $6.07

218.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 $70.7

$53.8 $53.8

31.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$7.45 $7.45

58.12%

Cappuccino

$4.91 $4.91

$3.34 $3.34

47.01%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$1.39 $1.39

79.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.15 $1.15

87.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 $6.60

$3.45 $3.45

91.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 $6.31

$5.98 $5.98

5.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.10 $1.10

-11.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.53 $1.53

157.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.49 $1.49

218.12%

Eggs

$4.35 $4.35

$2.09 $2.09

108.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 $11.54

$6.33 $6.33

82.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 $13.23

$5.58 $5.58

137.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 $18.29

$7.57 $7.57

141.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$2.23 $2.23

152.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.24 $1.24

14.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.28 $1.28

218.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.13 $1.13

354.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.18 $1.18

166.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.08 $1.08

144.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.93 $0.93

163.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.02 $1.02

91.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$5.91 $5.91

46.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 $13.68

$10.06 $10.06

35.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.52 $1.52

35.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.20 $3.20

8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 $1.83

$0.37 $0.37

394.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.25 $21.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.48 $1.48

90.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.52 $1.52

30.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.49 $28.49

$10.08 $10.08

182.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.81 $0.81

23.46%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$22.8K $22.8K

13.97%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$30.6K $30.6K

-10.97%

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

$175 $175

$28.20 $28.20

520.25%

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

$53.8 $53.8

$17.65 $17.65

204.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$28.83 $28.83

151.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.66 $43.66

$46.91 $46.91

-6.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 $18.10

Cinema Ticket

$15.58 $15.58

$6.58 $6.58

136.78%

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

$1,600 $1,600

$744 $744

115.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K $21.0K

$9,068 $9,068

131.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$70.1 $70.1

-23.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.07 $41.07

$49.81 $49.81

-17.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 $95.3

$115 $115

-17.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$110 $110

12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 $1,742

$481 $481

262.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 $1,117

$317 $317

252.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,259 $2,259

$950 $950

137.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,265 $2,265

$546 $546

314.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,049 $3,049

$1,775 $1,775

71.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$722 $722

223.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

10.12

-35.08%

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

Last update for Bethel, AK: October 17, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bethel, AK

$1.1K 46.9%

Quito

$317 32.2% 71.6% $800

Groceries & Markets

Bethel, AK

$412 17.3%

Quito

$195 19.9% 52.6% $217

Eating Out

Bethel, AK

$313 13.2%

Quito

$150 15.3% 52% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethel, AK

$301 12.7%

Quito

$75 7.6% 75.2% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Bethel, AK

$141 5.9%

Quito

$155 15.8% 9.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Bethel, AK

$75 3.1%

Quito

$60 6.1% 19.7% $15

Getting Around

Bethel, AK

$20 * 0.8%

Quito

$32 3.2% 58.2% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,742 in Bethel, AK and $481 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Bethel, AK vs $54.0 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $195 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethel, AK

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

11:13 11:13 AM

3 h ahead of Bethel, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,300

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bethel, AK Quito 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bethel, AK
Quito

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

Bethel, AK vs Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bethel, AK and Quito differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($2,380 vs $984 including rent). Quito is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,570 in Bethel, AK and $1,477 in Quito to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,742 in Bethel, AK versus $481 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Bethel, AK. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,380 per month in Bethel, AK versus $984 in Quito – a 142% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $984 in Quito versus $2,380 in Bethel, AK, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Bethel, AK. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Bethel, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.