Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Ketchikan, AK

For one person, living is cheaper in Ketchikan, AK: $3,104 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
149

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Ketchikan, AK

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Ketchikan, AK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $3,104 in Ketchikan, AK.

New York, NY $4,906
Ketchikan, AK $3,104

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,242 in Ketchikan, AK.

New York, NY $7,273
Ketchikan, AK $4,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $5,380 in Ketchikan, AK.

New York, NY $9,641
Ketchikan, AK $5,380

Living in New York, NY is roughly 58% more expensive than in Ketchikan, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Ketchikan, AK 130% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$27.76 $27.76

-2.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$82.4 $82.4

41.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$11.47 $11.47

27.29%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.09 $5.09

28.49%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.71 $2.71

42.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.03 $2.03

45.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$7.57 $7.57

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.39 $7.39

33.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.75 $1.75

-25.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.55 $3.55

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.27 $4.27

80.33%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$4.31 $4.31

41.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$12.61 $12.61

55.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$11.70 $11.70

50.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$17.35 $17.35

16.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.96 $4.96

40.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.62 $1.62

36.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.37 $4.37

53.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.79 $4.79

48.64%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.70 $2.70

70.74%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.39 $3.39

41.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.19 $2.19

31.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.43 $2.43

10.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$9.87 $9.87

93.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$14.88 $14.88

31.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.22 $2.22

49.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.64 $3.64

15.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.99 $1.99

51.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$59.1 $59.1

135.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.92 $3.92

-22.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.56 $1.56

41.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$28.88 $28.88

43.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.20 $1.20

-5.83%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$29.7K $29.7K

16.10%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

0.78%

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

$232 $232

$200 $200

16.42%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$57.5 $57.5

23.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$135 $135

-49.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$40.43 $40.43

185.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$17.98 $17.98

24.64%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,219 $1,219

195.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$19.5K $19.5K

253.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$57.1 $57.1

38.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$43.71 $43.71

17.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$82.9 $82.9

46.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$120 $120

16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,781 $1,781

155.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,618 $1,618

87.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,366 $2,366

311.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$2,156 $2,156

147.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$3,323 $3,323

448.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$3,412 $3,412

95.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$4,559 $4,559

11.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.59

4.55%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 52.1% 46.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Ketchikan, AK

$413 13.3% 27.3% $155

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Ketchikan, AK

$389 12.5% 8.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Ketchikan, AK

$392 12.6% 5.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Ketchikan, AK

$137 4.4% 22.4% $40

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Ketchikan, AK

$79 2.5% 52.4% $87

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Ketchikan, AK

$76 2.5% 52.3% $84

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,555 in New York, NY and $1,781 in Ketchikan, AK. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 12% 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: $117 in New York, NY vs $82 in Ketchikan, AK for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $413 per month, with Ketchikan, AK cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

15:22 3:22 PM

4 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

8,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Ketchikan, AK 4,430 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Ketchikan, AK

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

New York, NY vs Ketchikan, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $3,104 in Ketchikan, AK, so Ketchikan, AK is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,781 in Ketchikan, AK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,606 in New York, NY versus $1,219 in Ketchikan, AK. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Ketchikan, AK 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.

Expats usually find Ketchikan, AK gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.