Moving to Alaska from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Alaska — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to Alaska, you would find that Alaska is 17.7% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$107,021 salary in Australia would need to be roughly $83,103 in Alaska to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Juneau averages 49°F vs 67°F in Canberra, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Alaska.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,021 → $83,103
To maintain the same standard of living in Alaska
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 30.2% more
Groceries
pay 54.4% more
Transportation
pay 12.7% less
Housing
pay 58.0% more
Childcare
pay 23.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.5% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Australia to Alaska, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Australia to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
63.103,446
Australia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Australia and Alaska stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Australia performs better than Alaska across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Australia performs better than Alaska across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Alaska generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Australia performs better than Alaska across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Juneau |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Juneau |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) |
Bureau of Meteorology
National Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Alaska than Australia?
Day-to-day costs in Alaska run about 11% higher than Australia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Alaska?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$107,021 comparable salary, that's around $20,776 in Alaska for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Alaska?
Working remotely from Alaska's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Australia and Alaska.
How is healthcare in Alaska compared to Australia?
Australia performs better than Alaska across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Alaska compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Juneau is 49°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Juneau receives around 92.2 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Alaska?
Both Australia and Alaska share the same official language: English.
