Moving to Alaska from Florida

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Florida to Alaska? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Florida to Alaska, you would find that Alaska is 15.5% more expensive than Florida. A $75,000 salary in Florida would need to be roughly $78,946 in Alaska to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Juneau averages 49°F vs 80°F in Tallahassee, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Florida and Alaska.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $78,946

To maintain the same standard of living in Alaska

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 18.3% more

Groceries

pay 24.5% more

Transportation

pay 2.6% more

Housing

pay 16.6% more

Childcare

pay 11.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 46.8% more

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

The numbers behind daily life in Alaska compared to Florida.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

FL
280
AK
722
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

FL
1461
AK
1868

Florida performs better than Alaska across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

FL
11.0%
AK
10.7%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

FL
32.6%
AK
31.9%

Alaska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult smoking rate.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

FL
$325,000
AK
$333,300
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

FL
$1,564
AK
$1,388

Florida generally does better on what about housing?, though Alaska leads in median rent.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

FL
90.4%
AK
90.8%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

FL
28 min
AK
20 min

Alaska performs significantly better than Florida across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

FL
4.4%
AK
5.0%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

FL
$57,636
AK
$75,882

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

FL
77.5 yrs
AK
76.6 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

FL
22%
AK
21%

Florida performs 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.

TallahasseeRain: 59.2 in/yr (1504 mm)
80°/56°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsTallahasseeJuneau
Jan–Mar68°/43°F (20°/6°C)38°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun86°/61°F (30°/16°C)56°/42°F (13°/6°C)
Jul–Sep91°/71°F (33°/22°C)61°/49°F (16°/10°C)
Oct–Dec73°/48°F (23°/9°C)42°/33°F (5°/0°C)
View all months
MonthTallahasseeJuneau
Jan64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C)35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C)
Feb67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C)37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C)
Mar74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C)41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C)
Apr80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C)49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C)
May87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C)57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C)
Jun91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C)62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C)
Jul92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C)63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C)
Aug92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C)63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C)
Sep88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C)57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C)
Oct81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C)48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C)
Nov73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C)40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C)
Dec65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C)37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Alaska than Florida?

On average Alaska is around 5% pricier than Florida, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Alaska?

Budget about $19,736 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?

Florida performs better than Alaska across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Alaska compared to Florida?

Alaska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult smoking rate.

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

The average high temperature in Juneau is 49°F, compared to 80°F in Tallahassee. Juneau receives around 92.2 in of rainfall per year, while Tallahassee gets 59.2 in.

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