Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Ketchikan, AK

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
142

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

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $979 in Quito versus $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK.

Quito $979
Ketchikan, AK $2,868

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,607 in Quito versus $3,913 in Ketchikan, AK.

Quito $1,607
Ketchikan, AK $3,913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,234 in Quito versus $4,957 in Ketchikan, AK.

Quito $2,234
Ketchikan, AK $4,957

Living in Quito costs roughly 66% less than in Ketchikan, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quito is 27% below, Ketchikan, AK is 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 $6.14

$19.96 $19.96

-69.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$74.6 $74.6

-27.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$11.33 $11.33

-31.07%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$5.39 $5.39

-36.55%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$2.61 $2.61

-44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.96 $1.96

-41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 $3.48

$5.89 $5.89

-40.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$7.44 $7.44

-20.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.01 $1.01

12.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.53 $3.53

-56.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$4.43 $4.43

-65.91%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$3.46 $3.46

-37.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$12.39 $12.39

-48.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$11.51 $11.51

-52.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$16.90 $16.90

-53.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$4.95 $4.95

-52.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.38 $1.38

-10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$4.32 $4.32

-69.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$4.72 $4.72

-75.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.71 $2.71

-55.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.11 $3.11

-67.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.20 $2.20

-57.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.92 $1.92

-45.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 $6.02

$9.95 $9.95

-39.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$14.33 $14.33

-30.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.17 $2.17

-26.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.17 $3.17

-2.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$2.06 $2.06

-82.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

$25.15 $25.15

-16.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.10 $3.10

-50.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.79 $1.79

-14.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$28.64 $28.64

-65.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.26 $1.26

-30.95%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$36.2K $36.2K

-41.96%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

8.57%

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

$28.97 $28.97

$198 $198

-85.34%

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

$17.57 $17.57

$59.0 $59.0

-70.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 $28.14

$69.6 $69.6

-59.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 $46.48

$41.86 $41.86

11.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 $6.38

$14.21 $14.21

-55.10%

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

$746 $746

$1,374 $1,374

-45.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,015 $9,015

$22.8K $22.8K

-60.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$47.69 $47.69

44.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$37.74 $37.74

33.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$76.8 $76.8

52.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$126 $126

-13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 $478

$1,788 $1,788

-73.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$1,633 $1,633

-80.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$2,367 $2,367

-59.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 $549

$2,141 $2,141

-74.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$2,751 $2,751

-35.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 $720

$2,803 $2,803

-74.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$4,455 $4,455

-86.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

6.57

54.03%

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

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$313 31.8%

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 56.1% 422% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.1%

Ketchikan, AK

$388 13.3% 96.6% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$156 15.8%

Ketchikan, AK

$130 4.5% 16.6% $26

Eating Out

Quito

$153 15.5%

Ketchikan, AK

$321 11% 110% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

Ketchikan, AK

$326 11.2% 337% $252

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Ketchikan, AK

$70 2.4% 18.7% $11

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Ketchikan, AK

$45 1.6% 43.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $478 in Quito and $1,788 in Ketchikan, AK. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ketchikan, AK pays 647% 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 $75.0 in Ketchikan, AK for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $388 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

02:34 2:34 AM

3 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

8,200

💱 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 Ketchikan, AK 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
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

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

Quito and Ketchikan, AK differ by about 193% in total monthly costs ($979 vs $2,868 including rent). Quito is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 647% 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: $478 in Quito versus $1,788 in Ketchikan, AK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $746 in Quito versus $1,374 in Ketchikan, AK. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Ketchikan, AK. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $979 in Quito versus $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Ketchikan, 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.

Safety-wise, Quito and Ketchikan, AK are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 193% less than in Ketchikan, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.