Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ketchikan, AK and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ketchikan, AK outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

142

Cost of Living Index in Ketchikan, AK
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Ketchikan, AK Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ketchikan, AK and in Calgary

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 Calgary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Ketchikan, AK $2,868
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,913 in Ketchikan, AK versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Ketchikan, AK $3,913
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,957 in Ketchikan, AK versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Ketchikan, AK $4,957
Calgary $4,493

Living in Ketchikan, AK is roughly 28% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ketchikan, AK 114% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$17.22 CA$24.49

15.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$71.2 CA$101

4.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 $11.33

$10.56 CA$15.02

7.29%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$3.77 CA$5.37

42.97%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$1.91 CA$2.72

36.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.84 CA$2.62

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.86 CA$6.92

21.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 $7.44

$5.55 CA$7.90

34.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.88 CA$2.67

-46.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.73 CA$3.88

29.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$5.34 CA$7.60

-17.04%

Eggs

$3.46 $3.46

$3.77 CA$5.36

-8.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$11.29 CA$16.06

9.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$11.46 CA$16.30

0.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$18.26 CA$25.97

-7.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$4.64 CA$6.60

6.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.44 CA$2.04

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.22 CA$6.01

2.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.86 CA$5.49

22.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.62 CA$3.73

3.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.66 CA$3.78

16.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.59 CA$3.68

-15.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.53 CA$2.18

25.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$14.26 CA$20.28

-30.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.33 $14.33

$15.27 CA$21.71

-6.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.41 CA$3.43

-9.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.09 CA$4.40

2.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.88 CA$4.10

-28.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.15 $25.15

$88.7 CA$126

-71.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.23 CA$4.60

-4.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.38 CA$1.97

29.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.64 $28.64

$26.49 CA$37.67

8.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.18 CA$1.67

6.78%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$28.3K CA$40.2K

27.88%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

26.87%

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

$198 $198

$159 CA$227

24.07%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$37.61 CA$53.5

56.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$49.68 CA$70.7

40.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$53.3 CA$75.7

-21.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.04

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 $14.21

$14.08 CA$20.02

0.92%

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

$1,374 $1,374

$809 CA$1,151

69.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K $22.8K

$15.9K CA$22.5K

44.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.69 $47.69

$58.8 CA$83.6

-18.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.74 $37.74

$38.84 CA$55.2

-2.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 $76.8

$91.4 CA$130

-15.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$109 CA$155

15.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 $1,788

$1,237 CA$1,760

44.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$996 CA$1,417

63.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 $2,367

$1,908 CA$2,714

24.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 $2,141

$1,671 CA$2,377

28.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,751 $2,751

$3,530 CA$5,022

-22.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,803 $2,803

$3,336 CA$4,745

-15.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,455 $4,455

$3,130 CA$4,452

42.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.51

45.68%

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

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: October 4, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 56.1%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 39% $637

Groceries & Markets

Ketchikan, AK

$388 13.3%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 0.3% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ketchikan, AK

$326 11.2%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 24.4% $80

Eating Out

Ketchikan, AK

$321 11%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 17.4% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Ketchikan, AK

$130 4.5%

Calgary

$134 6% 3.3% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ketchikan, AK

$70 2.4%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 15.8% $11

Getting Around

Ketchikan, AK

$45 1.6%

Calgary

$110 5% 143% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,788 in Ketchikan, AK and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ketchikan, AK pays 42% 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: $75.0 in Ketchikan, AK vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

00:32 12:32 AM

02:32 2:32 AM

2 h ahead of Ketchikan, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,200

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Ketchikan, AK Calgary 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ketchikan, AK
Calgary

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 Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Ketchikan, AK, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,788 in Ketchikan, AK versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $75.0 in Ketchikan, AK. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,868 per month in Ketchikan, AK versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Ketchikan, AK. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary 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, Ketchikan, AK and Calgary 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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Ketchikan, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.