Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Ketchikan, AK

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.

109

Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index
149

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

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Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,288

/mo nomad

Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Papeete 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 Papeete and in Ketchikan, AK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Papeete costs roughly 26% less than in Ketchikan, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 CFPF 1,978

$27.76 $27.76

-32.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 CFPF 9,964

$82.4 $82.4

14.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.69 CFPF 1,558

$11.47 $11.47

28.07%

Cappuccino

$3.41 CFPF 362

$5.09 $5.09

-33.01%

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

$2.66 CFPF 282

$2.71 $2.71

-1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 CFPF 352

$2.03 $2.03

63.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 CFPF 347

$7.57 $7.57

-56.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 CFPF 388

$7.39 $7.39

-50.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 CFPF 160

$1.75 $1.75

-13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CFPF 280

$3.55 $3.55

-25.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 CFPF 169

$4.27 $4.27

-62.53%

Eggs

$6.15 CFPF 652

$4.31 $4.31

42.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.95 CFPF 2,963

$12.61 $12.61

121.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.32 CFPF 1,624

$11.70 $11.70

30.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.41 CFPF 2,800

$17.35 $17.35

52.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 CFPF 489

$4.96 $4.96

-7.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 CFPF 264

$1.62 $1.62

53.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 CFPF 679

$4.37 $4.37

46.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.04 CFPF 853

$4.79 $4.79

67.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CFPF 281

$2.70 $2.70

-1.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CFPF 232

$3.39 $3.39

-35.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.68 CFPF 390

$2.19 $2.19

68.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CFPF 122

$2.43 $2.43

-52.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.91 CFPF 1,368

$9.87 $9.87

30.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 CFPF 2,273

$14.88 $14.88

44.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 CFPF 300

$2.22 $2.22

27.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CFPF 328

$3.64 $3.64

-15.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 CFPF 195

$1.99 $1.99

-7.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 $59.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 CFPF 991

$3.92 $3.92

138.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.88 $28.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CFPF 153

$1.20 $1.20

20.83%

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

$18.9K CFPF 2.0M

$29.7K $29.7K

-36.24%

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

$28.3K CFPF 3.0M

$25.7K $25.7K

10.43%

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

$180 CFPF 19.1K

$200 $200

-9.80%

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

$19.61 CFPF 2,079

$57.5 $57.5

-65.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 CFPF 7,518

$135 $135

-47.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.7 CFPF 8,984

$40.43 $40.43

109.60%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 CFPF 1,462

$17.98 $17.98

-23.30%

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

$470 CFPF 49.8K

$1,219 $1,219

-61.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,485 CFPF 1.0M

$19.5K $19.5K

-51.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 CFPF 7,165

$57.1 $57.1

18.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.1 CFPF 7,542

$43.71 $43.71

62.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 CFPF 8,380

$82.9 $82.9

-4.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 CFPF 9,390

$120 $120

-26.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 CFPF 141.2K

$1,781 $1,781

-25.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$949 CFPF 100.6K

$1,618 $1,618

-41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 CFPF 194.9K

$2,366 $2,366

-22.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 CFPF 159.9K

$2,156 $2,156

-30.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,054 CFPF 747.9K

$3,323 $3,323

112.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,560 CFPF 801.5K

$3,412 $3,412

121.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,191 CFPF 232.3K

$4,559 $4,559

-51.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

6.59

-31.71%

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

Last update for Papeete: October 31, 2026

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Papeete

$949 41.5%

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 52.1% 70.5% $669

Groceries & Markets

Papeete

$520 22.7%

Ketchikan, AK

$413 13.3% 20.7% $107

Eating Out

Papeete

$282 12.3%

Ketchikan, AK

$389 12.5% 38.1% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papeete

$271 11.8%

Ketchikan, AK

$392 12.6% 45% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Papeete

$138 6%

Ketchikan, AK

$137 4.4% 0.7% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Papeete

$112 4.9%

Ketchikan, AK

$76 2.5% 32% $36

Getting Around

Papeete

$17 * 0.7%

Ketchikan, AK

$79 2.5% 372% $62

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 $1,332 in Papeete and $1,781 in Ketchikan, AK. 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: $94 in Papeete vs $82 in Ketchikan, AK for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $520 vs $413 per month, with Ketchikan, AK cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇫 Papeete

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🕒 Local time

04:17 4:17 AM

05:17 5:17 AM

1 h ahead of Papeete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,050 Capital

8,200

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.43 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.4 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

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).

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

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Papeete
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

Papeete vs Ketchikan, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Papeete. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,332 in Papeete versus $1,781 in Ketchikan, AK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $470 in Papeete versus $1,219 in Ketchikan, AK. 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, Papeete and Ketchikan, AK 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.