100 U.S. average 186.3 245.4 300 Manhattan, NYC Honolulu WHAT and WE how we PAY compare Tokyo, London, etc. 160 ANCHORAGE Groceries Housing Utilities Transportation 129.8 Fairbanks Alaska is an expensive place. But it’s not the most expensive. 134.5 Juneau Each year since 1961, the Council for Community and Economic Research has measured prices across the country for a variety of categories and compares cities to the national average for each. Juneau is 34.5 percent more expensive than the national average and the most expensive of the three. Anchorage is the “cheapest,” but still 28.4 percent more expensive than the national average. FAIRBANKS U.S. average 125.9 1.2% from 2017 118.2 5.7% 207.0 122.0 1.2% 151.5 1.6% 117.9 3.8% Groceries Transportation Health Care Misc. 145.3 122.7 0.3% 1.6% JUNEAU Kodiak Groceries Juneau Fairbanks Housing 2018 no data Utilities Transportation Health Care Misc. When figuring the cost of living, all costs are not equal. You probably spend more on HOUSING than you do gas money, so if the housing prices in an area are out of whack, they have a bigger impact than if utility prices are. Here’s how Juneau’s housing market compares to places across the country. Los Angeles Honolulu Juneau Atlanta Housing 100 Miami U.S. average 145.4 4.7% from 2017 150.5 5.1% 132.1 10.4% 140.8 18.7% 153.4 0.5% 114.0 7.5% San Francisco Manhattan (off page) Seattle 200 percent of average U.S. housing cost 15.7% In Fairbanks, the high cost of electricity and U.S. average home heating makes utility prices more than twice 134.0 3.4% from 2017 the national average. Anchorage utilities benefit 139.3 4.6% from natural gas, while Juneau has 121.8 17.2% hydroelectric power, but both remain above 106.5 6.7% the national average. Misc. no data Big Rock Candy Mountain, Atlantis Anchorage Anchorage 120 1988 100 Lowest in U.S. 128.4 Health Care 140 0 Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas Utilities All figures on this page should be considered percentages. If 100 is 100 percent of the national average, 130 would be 130 percent of the average. Since 1988, the differences in cost of living have shrunk among Alaska cities. Each remains more expensive than the U.S. average, however. 76.3 Tacoma Portland Housing Source: Council for Community and Economic Research, First quarter 2018 report via Alaska Department of Labor A change from the previous year doesn’t necessarily mean prices went up or down; it just means they are closer or further away from the national average. For example, if prices rose nationally, but they rose less in Alaska, that would make the figure closer to the national average. 110.3 130.0 Seattle Highest in U.S. By JAMES BROOKS JUNEAU EMPIRE 180 153.0 300 400 500