Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ketchikan, AK and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,684 a month against $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK versus $2,684 in Vancouver.

Ketchikan, AK $2,868
Vancouver $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,913 in Ketchikan, AK versus $3,878 in Vancouver.

Ketchikan, AK $3,913
Vancouver $3,878

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,957 in Ketchikan, AK versus $5,072 in Vancouver.

Ketchikan, AK $4,957
Vancouver $5,072

Living in Ketchikan, AK is roughly 7% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ketchikan, AK 114% above, Vancouver 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$17.30 CA$24.66

15.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$69.0 CA$98.3

8.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 $11.33

$10.56 CA$15.05

7.29%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$3.89 CA$5.54

38.56%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$2.05 CA$2.93

27.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.62 CA$2.31

20.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$5.54 CA$7.90

6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 $7.44

$6.33 CA$9.02

17.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.31 CA$3.30

-56.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.50 CA$3.56

41.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$4.44 CA$6.33

-0.23%

Eggs

$3.46 $3.46

$4.07 CA$5.80

-14.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$11.28 CA$16.08

9.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$13.42 CA$19.13

-14.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$20.10 CA$28.65

-15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$4.06 CA$5.78

21.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.33 CA$1.90

3.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.91 CA$5.57

10.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$4.05 CA$5.78

16.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.72 CA$3.88

-0.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.89 CA$4.12

7.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.53 CA$3.61

-13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.62 CA$2.31

18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$15.57 CA$22.19

-36.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.33 $14.33

$14.05 CA$20.03

1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.69 CA$3.83

-19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.99 CA$4.26

6.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.44 CA$3.48

-15.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.15 $25.15

$83.4 CA$119

-69.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.71 CA$3.87

14.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.57 CA$2.24

14.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.64 $28.64

$31.39 CA$44.75

-8.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.38 CA$1.96

-8.70%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$28.1K CA$40.0K

28.81%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

32.72%

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

$198 $198

$81.2 CA$116

143.47%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$37.45 CA$53.4

57.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$51.4 CA$73.2

35.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$43.47 CA$62.0

-3.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 $14.21

$12.54 CA$17.88

13.32%

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

$1,374 $1,374

$1,094 CA$1,560

25.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K $22.8K

$19.9K CA$28.4K

14.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.69 $47.69

$57.0 CA$81.3

-16.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.74 $37.74

$32.73 CA$46.66

15.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 $76.8

$92.6 CA$132

-17.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$94.2 CA$134

33.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 $1,788

$1,745 CA$2,488

2.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$1,484 CA$2,115

10.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 $2,367

$2,998 CA$4,273

-21.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 $2,141

$2,422 CA$3,453

-11.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,751 $2,751

$8,002 CA$11.4K

-65.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,803 $2,803

$6,457 CA$9,204

-56.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,455 $4,455

$3,799 CA$5,416

17.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.28

53.50%

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

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: October 4, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 56.1%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6% 9.2% $150

Groceries & Markets

Ketchikan, AK

$388 13.3%

Vancouver

$399 15.2% 2.7% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ketchikan, AK

$326 11.2%

Vancouver

$170 6.5% 47.9% $156

Eating Out

Ketchikan, AK

$321 11%

Vancouver

$272 10.4% 15.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Ketchikan, AK

$130 4.5%

Vancouver

$124 4.8% 4.1% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ketchikan, AK

$70 2.4%

Vancouver

$69 2.6% 2.5% $1.7

Getting Around

Ketchikan, AK

$45 1.6%

Vancouver

$104 4% 128% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,788 in Ketchikan, AK and $1,745 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ketchikan, AK pays 17% 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 $69.0 in Vancouver. Groceries flip the comparison at $388 vs $399, with Ketchikan, AK cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

01:43 1:43 AM

1 h ahead of Ketchikan, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,200

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Ketchikan, AK Vancouver 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ketchikan, AK
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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 Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ketchikan, AK and Vancouver differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,868 vs $2,684 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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 $1,745 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,374 in Ketchikan, AK versus $1,094 in Vancouver. 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.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Vancouver 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 Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Ketchikan, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.