Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Ketchikan, AK

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.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
142

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

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 6% less than in Ketchikan, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.66

$19.96 $19.96

-13.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$74.6 $74.6

-7.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

$11.33 $11.33

-6.80%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.54

$5.39 $5.39

-27.83%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$2.61 $2.61

-21.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.96 $1.96

-17.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.90

$5.89 $5.89

-5.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$7.44 $7.44

-14.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$1.01 $1.01

128.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$3.53 $3.53

-29.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.33

$4.43 $4.43

0.23%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

$3.46 $3.46

17.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$12.39 $12.39

-8.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

$11.51 $11.51

16.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.65

$16.90 $16.90

18.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.78

$4.95 $4.95

-17.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$1.38 $1.38

-3.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$4.32 $4.32

-9.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

$4.72 $4.72

-14.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$2.71 $2.71

0.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$3.11 $3.11

-7.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

$2.20 $2.20

15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.92 $1.92

-15.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.19

$9.95 $9.95

56.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

$14.33 $14.33

-1.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$2.17 $2.17

23.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$3.17 $3.17

-5.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

$2.06 $2.06

18.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

$25.15 $25.15

231.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

$3.10 $3.10

-12.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

$1.79 $1.79

-12.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

$28.64 $28.64

9.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.26 $1.26

9.52%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$36.2K $36.2K

-22.37%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

-24.65%

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

$81.2 CA$116

$198 $198

-58.93%

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

$37.45 CA$53.4

$59.0 $59.0

-36.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.2

$69.6 $69.6

-26.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$62.0

$41.86 $41.86

3.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.88

$14.21 $14.21

-11.75%

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

$1,094 CA$1,560

$1,374 $1,374

-20.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

$22.8K $22.8K

-12.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

$47.69 $47.69

19.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.66

$37.74 $37.74

-13.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$76.8 $76.8

20.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$126 $126

-25.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,488

$1,788 $1,788

-2.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,115

$1,633 $1,633

-9.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,273

$2,367 $2,367

26.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,453

$2,141 $2,141

13.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$2,751 $2,751

190.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

$2,803 $2,803

130.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,416

$4,455 $4,455

-14.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.57

-34.86%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 56.1% 10.1% $150

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Ketchikan, AK

$388 13.3% 2.6% $10

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Ketchikan, AK

$321 11% 18.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Ketchikan, AK

$326 11.2% 91.9% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Ketchikan, AK

$130 4.5% 4.3% $5.3

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

Ketchikan, AK

$45 1.6% 56.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Ketchikan, AK

$70 2.4% 2.5% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Vancouver and $1,788 in Ketchikan, AK. 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: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $75.0 in Ketchikan, AK. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $388, with Ketchikan, AK cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🕒 Local time

04:35 4:35 AM

03:35 3:35 AM

1 h behind Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

8,200

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

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

From you

Vancouver
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

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

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

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Ketchikan, AK. 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: $1,745 in Vancouver versus $1,788 in Ketchikan, AK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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