Alaska isn't nearly as expensive as it used to be, but prices still seem high to many people.
Here's a look at what it costs to live on the Last Frontier.
Juneau is Alaska's most expensive town for housing, thanks to a steady economy and a finite amount of building space between the saltwater and the mountains.
Of eight cities compared in a cost-of-food survey, the southwestern Alaska town of Bethel came in with the biggest tab.
Rentals: Median adjusted monthly rent, 2001
Borough or city | 2-bedroom apartment | Single-family home
(3 bedroom) |
| Juneau Borough | $995 | $1,524 |
| Kodiak Borough | $972 | $1,299 |
| Valdez / Cordova | $900 | $998 |
| Ketchikan Gateway Borough | $899 | $1,253 |
| Sitka Borough | $887 | $1,245 |
| Anchorage municipality | $785 | $1,250 |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough | $773 | $1,299 |
| Wrangell / Petersburg | $734 | $854 |
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
(Palmer-Wasilla area) | $706 | $1,076 |
Source: Alaska Housing Market Indicators, Alaska Housing Finance Corp; Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis.
Cost of food at home for a week in 8 Alaska cities
For a family of four with elementary school age children
Cost in 2001
Anchor-
age | Bethel | Nome | Tok | Kodiak | Kenai | Juneau | Fair-
banks |
| $106.43 | $180.89 | $176.56 | $141.73 | $140.23 | $119.55 | $112.53 | $103.61 |
| Anchorage = 100% | 170% | 166% | 132% | 133% | 112% | 106% | 97% |
Cost in 1991
Anchor-
age | Bethel | Nome | Tok | Kodiak | Kenai | Juneau | Fair-
banks |
| $102.84 | $152.49 | $150.29 | $143.45 | $127.96 | $111.88 | $104.21 | $114.65 |
| Anchorage = 100% | 148% | 146% | 139% | 124% | 109% | 101% | 111% |
Source: "Cost of Food at Home for a Week," September 1991 and September 2001, University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and SEA Grant cooperating.
Alaska cities rank in top 20 for expenses
Where do Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Kodiak rank nationally in the cost of living? A December 2001 survey of 292 urban areas by the American Chamber of Commerce shows Juneau to be the No. 9 costliest city in which to live. Kodiak is No. 13, Anchorage is No. 14 and Fairbanks is No. 20.
The numbers in the table below show how relatively expensive each city is. The cost of living in Juneau, for example, is 136 percent of the national average.
| City | All
items | Grocery
items | Housing | Utilities | Trans-
porta-
tion | Health
care | Misc.
goods
and services |
| Juneau | 136.4 | 136.3 | 146.6 | 139.6 | 135.8 | 168.7 | 122.3 |
| Kodiak | 128.0 | 142.3 | 114.0 | 135.6 | 139.2 | 146.7 | 124.9 |
| Anchorage | 124.3 | 130.6 | 131.9 | 86.7 | 113.2 | 154.4 | 122.9 |
| Fairbanks | 119.4 | 113.3 | 106.8 | 160.4 | 121.6 | 164.9 | 115.5 |
Source: American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association Urban Area Index Data, Fourth Quarter 2001 (292 urban areas surveyed); as printed in Alaska Economic Trends, Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
