Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ketchikan, AK and Papeete

For one person, living is cheaper in Papeete: $2,288 a month against $3,104 in Ketchikan, AK, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

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

Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index

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Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,104

/mo nomad

Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,104 in Ketchikan, AK versus $2,288 in Papeete.

Ketchikan, AK $3,104
Papeete $2,288

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,242 in Ketchikan, AK versus $3,451 in Papeete.

Ketchikan, AK $4,242
Papeete $3,451

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,380 in Ketchikan, AK versus $4,615 in Papeete.

Ketchikan, AK $5,380
Papeete $4,615

Living in Ketchikan, AK is roughly 36% more expensive than in Papeete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ketchikan, AK 130% above, Papeete 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.76 $27.76

$18.66 CFPF 1,978

48.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 $82.4

$94.0 CFPF 9,964

-12.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 $11.47

$14.69 CFPF 1,558

-21.92%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$3.41 CFPF 362

49.27%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.66 CFPF 282

1.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.32 CFPF 352

-38.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.57 $7.57

$3.27 CFPF 347

131.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.39 $7.39

$3.66 CFPF 388

101.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.51 CFPF 160

15.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.64 CFPF 280

34.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.60 CFPF 169

166.87%

Eggs

$4.31 $4.31

$6.15 CFPF 652

-29.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$27.95 CFPF 2,963

-54.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$15.32 CFPF 1,624

-23.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$26.41 CFPF 2,800

-34.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.61 CFPF 489

7.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.49 CFPF 264

-34.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$6.41 CFPF 679

-31.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$8.04 CFPF 853

-40.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.65 CFPF 281

1.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.19 CFPF 232

54.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.68 CFPF 390

-40.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.15 CFPF 122

111.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.87 $9.87

$12.91 CFPF 1,368

-23.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$21.44 CFPF 2,273

-30.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.83 CFPF 300

-21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.09 CFPF 328

17.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.84 CFPF 195

8.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 $59.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 $3.92

$9.35 CFPF 991

-58.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.88 $28.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.45 CFPF 153

-17.24%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$18.9K CFPF 2.0M

56.83%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$28.3K CFPF 3.0M

-9.45%

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

$200 $200

$180 CFPF 19.1K

10.86%

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

$57.5 $57.5

$19.61 CFPF 2,079

193.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$135 $135

$70.9 CFPF 7,518

90.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.43 $40.43

$84.7 CFPF 8,984

-52.29%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 $17.98

$13.79 CFPF 1,462

30.38%

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

$1,219 $1,219

$470 CFPF 49.8K

159.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K $19.5K

$9,485 CFPF 1.0M

105.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$67.6 CFPF 7,165

-15.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.71 $43.71

$71.1 CFPF 7,542

-38.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 $82.9

$79.1 CFPF 8,380

4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$88.6 CFPF 9,390

36.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 $1,781

$1,332 CFPF 141.2K

33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$949 CFPF 100.6K

70.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,366 $2,366

$1,839 CFPF 194.9K

28.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 $2,156

$1,509 CFPF 159.9K

42.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,323 $3,323

$7,054 CFPF 747.9K

-52.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,412 $3,412

$7,560 CFPF 801.5K

-54.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,559 $4,559

$2,191 CFPF 232.3K

108.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

4.5

46.44%

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

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: November 3, 2026

Last update for Papeete: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 52.1%

Papeete

$949 41.5% 41.4% $669

Groceries & Markets

Ketchikan, AK

$413 13.3%

Papeete

$520 22.7% 26% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ketchikan, AK

$392 12.6%

Papeete

$271 11.8% 31% $122

Eating Out

Ketchikan, AK

$389 12.5%

Papeete

$282 12.3% 27.6% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Ketchikan, AK

$137 4.4%

Papeete

$138 6% 0.7% $1

Getting Around

Ketchikan, AK

$79 2.5%

Papeete

$17 * 0.7% 78.8% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Ketchikan, AK

$76 2.5%

Papeete

$112 4.9% 47.1% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,781 in Ketchikan, AK and $1,332 in Papeete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ketchikan, AK pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $82 in Ketchikan, AK vs $94 in Papeete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $520 per month, with Ketchikan, AK cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🇵🇫 Papeete

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

04:17 4:17 AM

1 h behind Ketchikan, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,200

26,050 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.43 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.43 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.4 EUR).

XPF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ketchikan, AK Papeete 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ketchikan, AK
Papeete

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 Papeete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,104 in Ketchikan, AK and $2,288 in Papeete, so Papeete is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Ketchikan, AK is about 2.1 times higher, 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: $1,781 in Ketchikan, AK versus $1,332 in Papeete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,219 in Ketchikan, AK versus $470 in Papeete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ketchikan, AK – a meal for two runs $82 versus $94 in Papeete. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Papeete are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Papeete wins on affordability, Ketchikan, AK on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.