Moving to Alaska from Colorado
What to Expect
Considering a move from Colorado to Alaska? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Colorado to Alaska, you would find that Alaska is 1.2% more expensive than Colorado. A $75,000 salary in Colorado would need to be roughly $75,900 in Alaska to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Anchorage averages 45°F vs 65°F in Denver, making it significantly cooler. Denver and Anchorage are about 2,400 mi apart.
Is Alaska cheaper than Colorado?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 27.3% more
Groceries
pay 19.0% more
Transportation
pay 11.3% less
Housing
pay 6.5% less
Childcare
pay 34.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.9% 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.
What salary do you need in Alaska?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $75,900
To maintain the same standard of living in Alaska
Calculate with your salary →Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Alaska compared to Colorado.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Colorado generally does better on safety, though Alaska leads in property 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 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 significantly better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Colorado generally does better on infrastructure, though Alaska leads in average commute.
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 better than Alaska across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Alaska vs Colorado
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Denver | Anchorage |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) | 28°/13°F (-2°/-11°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) | 56°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) | 31°/18°F (0°/-7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Denver | Anchorage |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) | 23°/9°F (-5.1°/-12.9°C) |
| Feb | 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) | 27°/11°F (-2.6°/-11.7°C) |
| Mar | 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) | 35°/18°F (1.7°/-7.6°C) |
| Apr | 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) | 46°/30°F (8.0°/-1.3°C) |
| May | 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) |
| Jun | 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) | 65°/49°F (18.2°/9.4°C) |
| Jul | 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.9°C) |
| Aug | 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) | 65°/51°F (18.1°/10.4°C) |
| Sep | 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.7°C) |
| Oct | 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) | 41°/29°F (5.2°/-1.6°C) |
| Nov | 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) | 28°/15°F (-2.4°/-9.2°C) |
| Dec | 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) | 24°/11°F (-4.2°/-11.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Alaska than Colorado?
Alaska and Colorado are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Alaska?
Budget about $18,975 for 3 months in Alaska (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Alaska safe?
Colorado generally does better on safety, though Alaska leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Alaska compared to Colorado?
Colorado performs better than Alaska across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Alaska compared to Colorado?
The average high temperature in Anchorage is 45°F, compared to 65°F in Denver. Anchorage receives around 17.9 in of rainfall per year, while Denver gets 14.3 in.
