Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ketchikan, AK and San Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in San Salvador: $1,622 a month against $3,104 in Ketchikan, AK, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 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
78

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index

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Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,104

/mo nomad

San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,622

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,104 in Ketchikan, AK versus $1,622 in San Salvador.

Ketchikan, AK $3,104
San Salvador $1,622

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,242 in Ketchikan, AK versus $2,452 in San Salvador.

Ketchikan, AK $4,242
San Salvador $2,452

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,380 in Ketchikan, AK versus $3,283 in San Salvador.

Ketchikan, AK $5,380
San Salvador $3,283

Living in Ketchikan, AK is roughly 91% more expensive than in San Salvador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ketchikan, AK 130% above, San Salvador 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.76 $27.76

$6.70 $6.70

314.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 $82.4

$45.70 $45.70

80.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 $11.47

$6.87 $6.87

66.96%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$3.53 $3.53

44.19%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$1.12 $1.12

141.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.80 $0.80

153.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.57 $7.57

$1.95 $1.95

288.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.39 $7.39

$3.63 $3.63

103.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.81 $1.81

-3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.84 $2.84

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.37 $1.37

211.68%

Eggs

$4.31 $4.31

$3.09 $3.09

39.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$7.52 $7.52

67.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$7.02 $7.02

66.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$10.45 $10.45

66.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.99 $4.99

-0.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.41 $1.41

14.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.57 $2.57

70.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.51 $3.51

36.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.86 $2.86

-5.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.30 $3.30

2.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.95 $0.95

130.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.92 $0.92

164.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.87 $9.87

$4.05 $4.05

143.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.07 $12.07

23.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.28 $2.28

-2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.87 $2.87

26.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.29 $0.29

586.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 $59.1

$15.05 $15.05

292.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 $3.92

$5.85 $5.85

-32.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.93 $2.93

-46.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.88 $28.88

$20.22 $20.22

42.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.31 $1.31

-8.40%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$24.7K $24.7K

19.91%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.7K $27.7K

-7.36%

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

$200 $200

$130 $130

53.33%

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

$57.5 $57.5

$21.09 $21.09

172.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$135 $135

$41.77 $41.77

223.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.43 $40.43

$29.78 $29.78

35.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.91 $21.91

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 $17.98

$4.87 $4.87

269.20%

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

$1,219 $1,219

$161 $161

657.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K $19.5K

$6,704 $6,704

190.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$68.0 $68.0

-15.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.71 $43.71

$46.36 $46.36

-5.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 $82.9

$120 $120

-31.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$118 $118

2.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 $1,781

$910 $910

95.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$767 $767

110.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,366 $2,366

$1,835 $1,835

28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 $2,156

$1,370 $1,370

57.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,323 $3,323

$2,817 $2,817

17.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,412 $3,412

$1,855 $1,855

83.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,559 $4,559

$380 $380

1100.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

8.5

-22.47%

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

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: November 3, 2026

Last update for San Salvador: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 52.1%

San Salvador

$767 47.3% 52.6% $850

Groceries & Markets

Ketchikan, AK

$413 13.3%

San Salvador

$286 17.6% 30.7% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ketchikan, AK

$392 12.6%

San Salvador

$193 11.9% 50.8% $199

Eating Out

Ketchikan, AK

$389 12.5%

San Salvador

$141 8.7% 63.7% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Ketchikan, AK

$137 4.4%

San Salvador

$158 9.8% 15.8% $22

Getting Around

Ketchikan, AK

$79 2.5%

San Salvador

$37 2.3% 53.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Ketchikan, AK

$76 2.5%

San Salvador

$40 2.4% 48.3% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,781 in Ketchikan, AK and $910 in San Salvador. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ketchikan, AK pays about 12 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $82 in Ketchikan, AK vs $46 in San Salvador for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $286 per month, with San Salvador cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

08:17 8:17 AM

3 h ahead of Ketchikan, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,200

316,090 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ketchikan, AK San Salvador 5,890 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ketchikan, AK
San Salvador

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 Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,104 in Ketchikan, AK and $1,622 in San Salvador, so San Salvador is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Ketchikan, AK is about 12 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 $910 in San Salvador. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,219 in Ketchikan, AK versus $161 in San Salvador. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Ketchikan, AK. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,622 in San Salvador versus $3,104 in Ketchikan, AK, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Salvador but tight or insufficient in Ketchikan, AK. The gap between the two cities makes San Salvador the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Salvador is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ketchikan, AK, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find San Salvador gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Ketchikan, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.