Moving to Colorado from Alaska
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Alaska to Colorado — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Alaska to Colorado, you would find that Colorado is 4.0% more expensive than Alaska. A $75,000 salary in Alaska would need to be roughly $74,390 in Colorado to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Denver averages 65°F vs 49°F in Juneau, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Alaska to Colorado.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $74,390
To maintain the same standard of living in Colorado
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 10.8% less
Groceries
pay 19.8% less
Transportation
pay 17.0% more
Housing
pay 1.3% less
Childcare
pay 56.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.8% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Alaska to Colorado.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Alaska generally does better on safety, though Colorado leads in violent crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Colorado performs significantly better than Alaska across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Alaska performs better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Alaska generally does better on infrastructure, though Colorado leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Colorado generally does better on employment & economy, though Alaska leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Colorado performs significantly better than Alaska across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Juneau | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) | 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) | 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) | 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Juneau | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) | 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) | 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) | 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) |
| Apr | 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) | 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) |
| May | 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) | 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) | 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) |
| Jul | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) | 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) |
| Aug | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) | 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) | 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) | 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) |
| Nov | 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) | 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) |
| Dec | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) | 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Colorado than Alaska?
Costs in Colorado and Alaska are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Colorado?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,598 in Colorado on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Colorado safe?
Alaska generally does better on safety, though Colorado leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Colorado compared to Alaska?
Colorado performs significantly better than Alaska across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Colorado compared to Alaska?
The average high temperature in Denver is 65°F, compared to 49°F in Juneau. Denver receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Juneau gets 92.2 in.
