Last update: Nov 2026

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

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.

149

Cost of Living Index in Ketchikan, AK
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Ketchikan, AK Living Index
128

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

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Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,104

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Ketchikan, AK is roughly 15% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.76 $27.76

$21.34 $21.34

30.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 $82.4

$87.9 $87.9

-6.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 $11.47

$12.44 $12.44

-7.80%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$5.60 $5.60

-9.11%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$3.65 $3.65

-25.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.39 $2.39

-15.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.57 $7.57

$7.82 $7.82

-3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.39 $7.39

$8.75 $8.75

-15.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.12 $1.12

56.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.62 $3.62

-1.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.50 $3.50

22.00%

Eggs

$4.31 $4.31

$4.45 $4.45

-3.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$13.18 $13.18

-4.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$13.94 $13.94

-16.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$16.46 $16.46

5.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.73 $4.73

4.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.50 $1.50

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.64 $4.64

-5.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$4.52 $4.52

5.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.55 $2.55

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.39 $2.39

41.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.84 $1.84

19.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.13 $2.13

14.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.87 $9.87

$10.05 $10.05

-1.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.82 $2.82

-21.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.29 $3.29

10.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.23 $1.23

61.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 $59.1

$41.43 $41.43

42.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.68 $2.68

46.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.63 $1.63

-4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.88 $28.88

$35.20 $35.20

-17.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.98 $0.98

22.45%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$34.4K $34.4K

-13.68%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-4.35%

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

$200 $200

$252 $252

-20.87%

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

$57.5 $57.5

$59.8 $59.8

-3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$135 $135

$69.7 $69.7

93.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.43 $40.43

$60.4 $60.4

-33.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 $17.98

$13.75 $13.75

30.76%

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

$1,219 $1,219

$1,458 $1,458

-16.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K $19.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

-26.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$52.6 $52.6

8.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.71 $43.71

$45.76 $45.76

-4.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 $82.9

$85.5 $85.5

-3.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$106 $106

13.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 $1,781

$2,195 $2,195

-18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$1,269 $1,269

27.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,366 $2,366

$4,000 $4,000

-40.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 $2,156

$2,406 $2,406

-10.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,323 $3,323

$7,381 $7,381

-54.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,412 $3,412

$2,964 $2,964

15.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,559 $4,559

$5,043 $5,043

-9.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.82

-3.37%

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

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: November 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 52.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2% 21.6% $349

Groceries & Markets

Ketchikan, AK

$413 13.3%

Austin, TX

$407 15.2% 1.3% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ketchikan, AK

$392 12.6%

Austin, TX

$382 14.2% 2.7% $10

Eating Out

Ketchikan, AK

$389 12.5%

Austin, TX

$356 13.2% 8.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Ketchikan, AK

$137 4.4%

Austin, TX

$130 4.9% 4.8% $6.5

Getting Around

Ketchikan, AK

$79 2.5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.1% 27.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Ketchikan, AK

$76 2.5%

Austin, TX

$88 3.3% 15% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,781 in Ketchikan, AK and $2,195 in Austin, TX. 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: $82 in Ketchikan, AK vs $88 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $413 vs $407, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

3 h ahead of Ketchikan, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,200

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Ketchikan, AK
Austin, TX

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

Ketchikan, AK vs Austin, TX: 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.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Ketchikan, AK. 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: $1,781 in Ketchikan, AK versus $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,219 in Ketchikan, AK versus $1,458 in Austin, TX. 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.