Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Valdez, AK

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $2,724 in Valdez, AK, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Valdez, AK
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Valdez, AK Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Valdez, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $979 per month in Quito vs $2,724 in Valdez, AK, rent included.

Quito $979
Valdez, AK $2,724

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Quito vs $4,067 in Valdez, AK, rent included.

Quito $1,607
Valdez, AK $4,067

A family of three spends $2,234 per month in Quito vs $5,410 in Valdez, AK, rent included.

Quito $2,234
Valdez, AK $5,410

Quito is about 64% cheaper than Valdez, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Quito sits 27% below the global median, while Valdez, AK is 103% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 $6.14

$24.01 $24.01

-74.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$102 $102

-47.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$19.75 $19.75

-60.46%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$4.16 $4.16

-17.79%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$2.49 $2.49

-42.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.23 $2.23

-48.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 $3.48

$6.93 $6.93

-49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$9.13 $9.13

-35.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.02 $1.02

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.55 $3.55

-56.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$4.37 $4.37

-65.45%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$4.27 $4.27

-49.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$12.61 $12.61

-49.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$11.38 $11.38

-51.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$16.77 $16.77

-53.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$5.01 $5.01

-53.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.63 $1.63

-23.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$4.20 $4.20

-68.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$4.73 $4.73

-75.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.87 $2.87

-57.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.92 $2.92

-65.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.18 $2.18

-57.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.28 $2.28

-53.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 $6.02

$10.11 $10.11

-40.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$14.95 $14.95

-33.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.03 $2.03

-21.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.38 $3.38

-8.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$2.04 $2.04

-81.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.64 $3.64

-57.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.61 $1.61

-4.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$27.73 $27.73

-63.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.34 $1.34

-35.07%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$34.6K $34.6K

-39.37%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$25.2K $25.2K

13.27%

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

$28.97 $28.97

$309 $309

-90.61%

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

$17.57 $17.57

$57.8 $57.8

-69.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 $28.14

$97.8 $97.8

-71.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 $46.48

$41.96 $41.96

10.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 $6.38

$14.07 $14.07

-54.66%

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

$746 $746

$1,567 $1,567

-52.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,015 $9,015

$23.1K $23.1K

-60.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$57.6 $57.6

19.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$35.87 $35.87

40.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$92.0 $92.0

27.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$127 $127

-14.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 $478

$1,580 $1,580

-69.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$1,307 $1,307

-76.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$2,688 $2,688

-64.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 $549

$2,432 $2,432

-77.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$2,351 $2,351

-25.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 $720

$2,178 $2,178

-66.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$7,523 $7,523

-92.07%

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 Valdez, AK: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$313 31.8%

Valdez, AK

$1.3K 47.1% 317% $993

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.1%

Valdez, AK

$398 14.4% 101% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$156 15.8%

Valdez, AK

$141 5.1% 9.5% $15

Eating Out

Quito

$153 15.5%

Valdez, AK

$373 13.5% 144% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

Valdez, AK

$464 16.7% 522% $389

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Valdez, AK

$70 2.5% 18.3% $11

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Valdez, AK

$20 * 0.7% 37.2% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Quito versus $1,580 in Valdez, AK. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1161% higher in Valdez, AK, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Quito versus $102 in Valdez, AK. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $398 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇺🇸 Valdez, AK

🕒 Local time

05:37 5:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

3 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

4,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Quito Valdez, AK 8,860 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
Valdez, 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 Valdez, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Valdez, AK is pricier by about 178%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,468 per month in Quito and $4,086 in Valdez, AK. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $979 in Quito and $2,724 in Valdez, AK. That's a gap of about 178%.

Kindergarten costs $746 per month in Quito and $1,567 in Valdez, AK. 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 $979, than in Valdez, AK at $2,724. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Valdez, AK 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Quito. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Valdez, AK makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.