Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valdez, AK and Quito

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.

133

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

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Valdez, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,724

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Valdez, AK $2,724
Quito $979

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

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

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

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

Valdez, AK costs about 178% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.01 $24.01

$6.14 $6.14

291.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$53.9 $53.9

89.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.75 $19.75

$7.81 $7.81

152.88%

Cappuccino

$4.16 $4.16

$3.42 $3.42

21.64%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$1.44 $1.44

72.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.14 $1.14

95.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.48 $3.48

99.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$5.89 $5.89

55.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.14 $1.14

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.54 $1.54

130.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.51 $1.51

189.40%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$2.16 $2.16

97.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$6.40 $6.40

97.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$5.48 $5.48

107.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$7.81 $7.81

114.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.33 $2.33

115.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.24 $1.24

31.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.31 $1.31

220.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.14 $1.14

314.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.21 $1.21

137.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.02 $1.02

186.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.93 $0.93

134.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.05 $1.05

117.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.11 $10.11

$6.02 $6.02

67.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$9.93 $9.93

50.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.59 $1.59

27.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.08 $3.08

9.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.37 $0.37

451.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.54 $1.54

136.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.53 $1.53

5.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.73 $27.73

$10.01 $10.01

177.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$0.87 $0.87

54.02%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$21.0K $21.0K

64.94%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$28.6K $28.6K

-11.71%

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

$309 $309

$28.97 $28.97

965.21%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$17.57 $17.57

229.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.8 $97.8

$28.14 $28.14

247.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 $41.96

$46.48 $46.48

-9.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 $14.07

$6.38 $6.38

120.53%

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

$1,567 $1,567

$746 $746

109.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$9,015 $9,015

155.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$68.8 $68.8

-16.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.87 $35.87

$50.4 $50.4

-28.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$117 $117

-21.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$109 $109

16.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 $1,580

$478 $478

230.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$313 $313

317.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,688 $2,688

$967 $967

177.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$549 $549

342.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$1,763 $1,763

33.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,178 $2,178

$720 $720

202.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,523 $7,523

$597 $597

1160.61%

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 Valdez, AK: October 5, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Valdez, AK

$1.3K 47.1%

Quito

$313 31.8% 76% $993

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valdez, AK

$464 16.7%

Quito

$75 7.6% 83.9% $389

Groceries & Markets

Valdez, AK

$398 14.4%

Quito

$198 20.1% 50.3% $200

Eating Out

Valdez, AK

$373 13.5%

Quito

$153 15.5% 59% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Valdez, AK

$141 5.1%

Quito

$156 15.8% 10.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Valdez, AK

$70 2.5%

Quito

$59 6% 15.5% $11

Getting Around

Valdez, AK

$20 * 0.7%

Quito

$32 3.2% 59.2% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,580 in Valdez, AK versus $478 in Quito. 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 $102 in Valdez, AK versus $54.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Valdez, AK

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

06:32 6:32 AM

3 h ahead of Valdez, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Valdez, 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

Valdez, AK vs Quito: 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 $4,086 per month in Valdez, AK and $1,468 in Quito. 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 $2,724 in Valdez, AK and $979 in Quito. That's a gap of about 178%.

Kindergarten costs $1,567 per month in Valdez, AK and $746 in Quito. 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.