Moving to Maine from Alaska

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Alaska to Maine — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Alaska to Maine, you would find that Maine is 7.1% more expensive than Alaska. A $75,000 salary in Alaska would need to be roughly $68,238 in Maine to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Augusta averages 77°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 Maine.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $68,238

To maintain the same standard of living in Maine

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 10.8% less

Groceries

pay 18.7% less

Transportation

pay 1.4% less

Housing

pay 16.8% less

Childcare

pay 2.2 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 17.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Maine.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AK
722
ME
101
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AK
1868
ME
1105

Maine performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AK
10.7%
ME
6.4%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AK
31.9%
ME
33.2%

Maine generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in adult obesity rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AK
$333,300
ME
$266,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AK
$1,388
ME
$1,084

Maine performs significantly better than Alaska across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AK
90.8%
ME
89.2%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AK
20 min
ME
24 min

Alaska performs better than Maine across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AK
5.0%
ME
3.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AK
$75,882
ME
$54,958

Alaska generally does better on employment & economy, though Maine leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AK
76.6 yrs
ME
77.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AK
21%
ME
25%

Maine 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.

Juneau Rain: 92.2 in/yr (2342 mm)
49° / 38°F

Avg. annual high / low

Augusta Rain: 43.6 in/yr (1107 mm)
77° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Juneau Augusta
Jan–Mar 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) 63°/37°F (17°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) 84°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) 91°/67°F (33°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) 69°/42°F (21°/6°C)
View all months
Month Juneau Augusta
Jan 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) 58°/33°F (14.4°/0.4°C)
Feb 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) 62°/36°F (16.8°/2.2°C)
Mar 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) 70°/42°F (21.1°/5.6°C)
Apr 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) 77°/48°F (25.2°/8.9°C)
May 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) 85°/57°F (29.4°/14.1°C)
Jun 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) 91°/66°F (32.8°/19.0°C)
Jul 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) 93°/70°F (34.1°/21.0°C)
Aug 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C)
Sep 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) 87°/63°F (30.4°/17.0°C)
Oct 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.6°C)
Nov 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) 69°/41°F (20.6°/5.2°C)
Dec 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) 60°/35°F (15.6°/1.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Maine than Alaska?

Yes — Maine is on average about 9% cheaper than Alaska. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Maine?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,060 in Maine on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Maine safe?

Maine performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Maine compared to Alaska?

Maine generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in adult obesity rate.

What's the weather like in Maine compared to Alaska?

The average high temperature in Augusta is 77°F, compared to 49°F in Juneau. Augusta receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Juneau gets 92.2 in.

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