Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ketchikan, AK and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ketchikan, AK and in San Jose

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK versus $1,949 in San Jose.

Ketchikan, AK $2,868
San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,913 in Ketchikan, AK versus $2,903 in San Jose.

Ketchikan, AK $3,913
San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,957 in Ketchikan, AK versus $3,857 in San Jose.

Ketchikan, AK $4,957
San Jose $3,857

Living in Ketchikan, AK is roughly 47% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ketchikan, AK 114% above, San Jose 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$12.22 ₡5,510

63.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$60.1 ₡27.1K

24.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 $11.33

$11.77 ₡5,305

-3.74%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$4.30 ₡1,939

25.35%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$2.72 ₡1,226

-4.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.84 ₡830

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.28 ₡1,480

79.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 $7.44

$4.36 ₡1,966

70.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.38 ₡1,074

-57.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.12 ₡1,408

13.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.41 ₡1,086

83.82%

Eggs

$3.46 $3.46

$3.47 ₡1,564

-0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$10.57 ₡4,767

17.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$10.56 ₡4,758

9.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$13.75 ₡6,196

22.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$5.04 ₡2,274

-1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.61 ₡727

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.59 ₡2,069

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.84 ₡1,731

22.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.77 ₡1,700

-28.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.76 ₡1,693

-17.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.12 ₡506

96.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.20 ₡1,441

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$5.84 ₡2,632

70.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.33 $14.33

$19.73 ₡8,897

-27.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.75 ₡1,240

-21.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.66 ₡1,650

-13.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.12 ₡503

83.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.15 $25.15

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-61.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.46 ₡1,110

26.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.54 ₡692

16.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.64 $28.64

$8.46 ₡3,815

238.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.55 ₡699

-18.71%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

66.60%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-24.59%

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

$198 $198

$94.7 ₡42.7K

108.70%

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

$58.6 ₡26.4K

18.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-41.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 $14.21

$7.83 ₡3,532

81.48%

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

$1,374 $1,374

$971 ₡437.9K

41.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K $22.8K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

34.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.69 $47.69

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-33.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.74 $37.74

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-31.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 $76.8

$129 ₡58.2K

-40.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$133 ₡60.0K

-5.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 $1,788

$934 ₡420.9K

91.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$770 ₡347.2K

112.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 $2,367

$1,945 ₡876.7K

21.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 $2,141

$1,316 ₡593.5K

62.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,751 $2,751

$2,277 ₡1.0M

20.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,803 $2,803

$1,795 ₡809.1K

56.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,455 $4,455

$1,006 ₡453.5K

342.85%

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 San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 56.1%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 52.8% $863

Groceries & Markets

Ketchikan, AK

$388 13.3%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 2.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ketchikan, AK

$326 11.2%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 42.3% $138

Eating Out

Ketchikan, AK

$321 11%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 29% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Ketchikan, AK

$130 4.5%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 34.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Ketchikan, AK

$70 2.4%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 25% $18

Getting Around

Ketchikan, AK

$45 1.6%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 75.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,788 in Ketchikan, AK and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ketchikan, AK pays 343% 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 San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $388 vs $399, with Ketchikan, AK cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

00:49 12:49 AM

2 h ahead of Ketchikan, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,200

342,188 Capital

💱 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 San Jose 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ketchikan, AK
San Jose

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 San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ketchikan, AK and San Jose differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($2,868 vs $1,949 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 343% 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 $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,374 in Ketchikan, AK versus $971 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ketchikan, AK pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Ketchikan, AK. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose 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 San Jose 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 San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Ketchikan, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.