Cost of living in Anchorage: rent, homes and salary
Cost of living in Anchorage comes in 5.4% above the US average: in 2024, the regional price parity (RPP) published by BEA for the Anchorage, AK metro area is 105.4, with the US at 100, and housing alone is 109.9.
- Overall prices
- 105.4US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- Rents: 109.9, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Anchorage
A regional price parity puts the US average at 100, then measures what a basket of the same goods and services costs in one place. The city of Anchorage sits inside the Anchorage, AK metro area. BEA prices that whole area as a single unit. Utilities sit furthest from the US average, at 111.8, or 11.8% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Anchorage, AK metro | Alaska | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 105.4 | 102.4 | +5.4% |
| Goods | 107.3 | 106.3 | +7.3% |
| Housing (rents) | 109.9 | 93.8 | +9.9% |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 119.0 | +11.8% |
| Other services | 103.3 | 102.2 | +3.3% |
Regional price parities for metro areas and states, 2024 (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis). BEA price parity data
Anchorage rent
For Anchorage, Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) puts the typical asking rent at $1,845 a month, counting homes listed now and running +3.8% on a year. In the US, it is $1,932. Census median gross rent is $1,536, and that figure counts every renting household rather than new leases only. Paying a year of the asking rent takes 21% of the median household income.
| Rent | Anchorage | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,845 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +3.8% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,536 | $1,487 |
| Asking rent for a year, as a share of median income | 21% | 28% |
One-year estimates come from Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024, and the rent index is Zillow Observed Rent Index.
Anchorage home prices
In September 2026, the Zillow Home Value Index, known as ZHVI, put a typical home in Anchorage at $422,584. It measures what a typical home is worth in the middle of the housing market. That is +5.3% over a year, compared with $366,157 in the US. Covering the price takes 4.0 years of median household income, against 4.5 in the US.
| Home prices | Anchorage | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $422,584 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +5.3% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +35.4% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 19.1 | 15.8 |
A chart of prices since 2000, along with the forecast and days on the market: Anchorage housing market.
The salary you need to live in Anchorage
Your salary in Anchorage, the amount that buys what your pay buys now, comes down to two things: the place you live and your earnings.
- Moving away from
- Salary
The method and a side-by-side look at every city: cost of living comparison.
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Anchorage cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Overall prices | Housing | The typical rent | Value of a typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | 105.4 | 109.9 | $1,845 | $422,584 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| Chicago | 103.6 | 112.0 | $2,311 | $334,108 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| Phoenix | 103.3 | 121.2 | $1,571 | $404,067 |
| Philadelphia | 102.6 | 113.1 | $1,757 | $231,584 |
| San Antonio | 94.7 | 94.6 | $1,381 | $244,623 |
| San Diego | 111.9 | 179.3 | $3,004 | $980,490 |
BEA regional price parities 2024 give the price levels, with US = 100. Rent figures: Zillow ZORI. For home value, Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities, ranked: cost of living comparison. Every state: state cost of living.