Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ketchikan, AK and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Ketchikan, AK
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Ketchikan, AK Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Ketchikan, AK $2,868
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,913 in Ketchikan, AK versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Ketchikan, AK $3,913
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,957 in Ketchikan, AK versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Ketchikan, AK $4,957
Nosara $3,712

Living in Ketchikan, AK is roughly 56% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ketchikan, AK 114% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$12.22 ₡5,509

63.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$60.2 ₡27.1K

23.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 $11.33

$7.54 ₡3,399

50.27%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$4.31 ₡1,941

25.06%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$1.72 ₡773

51.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.35 ₡608

45.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.24 ₡1,459

81.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 $7.44

$4.48 ₡2,018

66.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.57 ₡707

-35.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.17 ₡1,429

11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.42 ₡1,091

83.06%

Eggs

$3.46 $3.46

$3.57 ₡1,609

-3.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$7.43 ₡3,349

66.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$10.42 ₡4,697

10.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$13.66 ₡6,156

23.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.32 ₡1,044

113.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.61 ₡728

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.74 ₡2,138

-8.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$1.66 ₡747

184.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.72 ₡1,679

-27.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.57 ₡1,611

-12.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.10 ₡497

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.55 ₡1,149

-24.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$4.95 ₡2,232

101.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.33 $14.33

$20.01 ₡9,020

-28.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.79 ₡1,256

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.53 ₡1,589

-10.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.19 ₡537

73.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.15 $25.15

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-65.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.24 ₡1,011

38.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.55 ₡701

15.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.64 $28.64

$8.86 ₡3,993

223.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.57 ₡708

-19.75%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

65.82%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-24.07%

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

$198 $198

$93.5 ₡42.1K

111.45%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

68.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$51.5 ₡23.2K

35.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-41.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 $14.21

$7.84 ₡3,535

81.25%

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

$1,374 $1,374

$490 ₡220.7K

180.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K $22.8K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

92.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.69 $47.69

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-10.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.74 $37.74

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-32.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 $76.8

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-3.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$78.9 ₡35.6K

59.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 $1,788

$786 ₡354.3K

127.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$780 ₡351.6K

109.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 $2,367

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-38.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 $2,141

$1,407 ₡634.4K

52.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,751 $2,751

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-60.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,803 $2,803

$1,201 ₡541.3K

133.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,455 $4,455

$876 ₡395.0K

408.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 56.1%

Nosara

$780 43% 52.3% $854

Groceries & Markets

Ketchikan, AK

$388 13.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 10% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ketchikan, AK

$326 11.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 44.8% $146

Eating Out

Ketchikan, AK

$321 11%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 34.8% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Ketchikan, AK

$130 4.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 7.3% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ketchikan, AK

$70 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 23.9% $17

Getting Around

Ketchikan, AK

$45 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 91.1% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,788 in Ketchikan, AK and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ketchikan, AK pays 408% 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 $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

19:59 7:59 PM

2 h ahead of Ketchikan, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,200

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ketchikan, AK Nosara 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ketchikan, AK
Nosara

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 Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ketchikan, AK and Nosara differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,868 vs $1,837 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 408% 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 $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,374 in Ketchikan, AK versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Ketchikan, AK. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Ketchikan, AK. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara 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 Nosara 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Ketchikan, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.