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Anchorage Municipality · Alaska

Cost of living in Anchorage, AK

Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Anchorage, AK, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.

Quick answer

Living in Anchorage, AK costs 5.4% above the national average — an all-items price level of 105.4. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $105,420 here.

All items
105.4US average = 100
Housing
109.99.9% above the national average
Goods
107.37.3% above the national average
Other services
103.33.3% above the national average

Price level by component

Where the difference actually comes from.

ComponentIndexvs USWhat it covers
Goods107.3+7.3%Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases.
Housing109.9+9.9%Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor.
Utilities111.8+11.8%Electricity, gas, water and other household energy.
Other services103.3+3.3%Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services.

What your salary is worth in Anchorage, AK

Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (105.4 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.

Real value here
$90,690
Needed to match US average
$100,787
Monthly difference
$432

What a local paycheck is really worth

Nominal pay is only half the story.

The median household in Anchorage earns $95,605. Deflated by the local price level, that is $90,690 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 105.4.

Run your own salary through the comparison tool →

Same city, other datasets.

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities

2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Anchorage, AK. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.