Moving to Utah from Alaska
What to Expect
Considering a move from Alaska to Utah? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Alaska to Utah, you would find that Utah is 10.4% cheaper than Alaska. A $75,000 salary in Alaska would need to be roughly $63,505 in Utah to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Salt Lake City averages 64°F vs 49°F in Juneau, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Alaska and Utah.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $63,505
To maintain the same standard of living in Utah
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 24.6% less
Groceries
pay 28.3% less
Transportation
pay 14.5% more
Housing
pay 21.4% less
Childcare
pay 19.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 25.2% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Utah compared to Alaska.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Utah performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.
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
Alaska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Alaska generally does better on what about housing?, though Utah leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Alaska generally does better on infrastructure, though Utah 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
Utah 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
Utah 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 | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) | 87°/60°F (31°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) | 51°/32°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Juneau | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) | 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C) |
| Mar | 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Apr | 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) | 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C) |
| May | 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) | 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C) |
| Jun | 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) | 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) | 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C) |
| Aug | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) | 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C) |
| Sep | 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) | 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) | 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C) |
| Nov | 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) | 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Utah than Alaska?
On average Utah is about 15% less expensive than Alaska, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Utah?
Budget about $15,876 for 3 months in Utah (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Utah safe?
Utah performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Utah compared to Alaska?
Alaska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Utah compared to Alaska?
The average high temperature in Salt Lake City is 64°F, compared to 49°F in Juneau. Salt Lake City receives around 16.1 in of rainfall per year, while Juneau gets 92.2 in.
