Moving to Alaska from Arizona
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Arizona to Alaska — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Arizona to Alaska, you would find that Alaska is 16.9% more expensive than Arizona. A $75,000 salary in Arizona would need to be roughly $84,027 in Alaska to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Juneau averages 49°F vs 87°F in Phoenix, making it significantly cooler. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Arizona to Alaska. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $84,027 To maintain the same standard of living in Alaska The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 19.4% more Groceries pay 38.9% more Transportation pay 3.4% more Housing pay 11.3% more Childcare pay 12.0% less Entertainment and Sports pay 44.2% more Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources. How Arizona and Alaska stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Arizona performs better than Alaska across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in adult obesity rate. 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 Arizona leads in homeownership rate. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Alaska performs significantly better than Arizona across all infrastructure metrics. 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 Alaska generally does better on employment & economy, though Arizona leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Arizona generally does better on family life, though Alaska leads in life expectancy. 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Day-to-day costs in Alaska run about 12% higher than Arizona on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $21,007 in Alaska for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. Arizona performs better than Alaska across all safety metrics. Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in adult obesity rate. The average high temperature in Juneau is 49°F, compared to 87°F in Phoenix. Juneau receives around 92.2 in of rainfall per year, while Phoenix gets 8.2 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Phoenix Juneau Jan–Mar 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) Apr–Jun 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) Jul–Sep 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) Oct–Dec 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) View all months
Month Phoenix Juneau Jan 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) Feb 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) Mar 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) Apr 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) May 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) Jun 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) Jul 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) Aug 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) Sep 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) Oct 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) Nov 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) Dec 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
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