Anchorage, AK vs Chicago, IL
Moving from Anchorage to Chicago? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($422,103 → $353,998 median home) and taxes.
Anchorage vs Chicago at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Anchorage, AK, you'd need about $112,291 in Chicago, IL (+$12,291).
Livability — Anchorage, AK: 49 · Chicago, IL: 63 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,132 sqft in Anchorage vs 2,402 sqft in Chicago ($235 vs $208 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Anchorage, AK | Chicago, IL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $21,240 | $27,192 | +$5,952 |
| Groceries | $5,224 | $5,215 | −$8 |
| Transportation | $3,350 | $3,550 | +$200 |
| Utilities | $7,056 | $4,800 | −$2,256 |
| Insurance | $180 | $180 | +$0 |
| Taxes | $637 | $8,051 | +$7,414 |
| Total | $37,687 | $48,988 | +$11,302 |
Effective state & local tax rate on $100,000 — Anchorage, AK: 0.6% · Chicago, IL: 8.1% (income + local + sales + property tax where applicable ÷ income)
Assumptions: 500 gal gasoline/yr · $5000 base annual grocery · 35% of income sales-taxable. Renter: housing = median rent, renter's insurance, no property tax.
Side by side
| Metric | Anchorage, AK | Chicago, IL |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 106.8 | 102.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.62% | 6.19% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -0.0% | 0.2% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 26 | 56 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $6.08 | $5.83 |
| Median home price | $422,103 | $353,998 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.5× | 4.2× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 5.7% | 4.4% |
| Price per square foot | $235 | $208 |
| Median rent | $1,770 | $2,266 |
| Total tax burden (state avg, Tax Foundation) | 4.6% | 12.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 1.82% | 8.86% |
| Capital gains tax | None | 4.95% |
| Property tax rate | 1.24% | 2.11% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.3 yrs | 78.2 yrs |
| Healthcare (annual) | $9,500 | $6,800 |
| Uninsured (share of residents) | 12.8% | 8.4% |
| Primary care providers / 100k | 97 | 85 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $12,000 | $14,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Days per year ≥ 90°F | 0 | 18 |
| Days per year ≥ 100°F | 0 | 1 |
| Homes with air conditioning (state) | 7% | 96% |
| Avg commute (min) | 23 | 31 |
| Commute by driving alone | 71.4% | 63.6% |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,000 | $1,900 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,300 | $1,600 |
| FEMA risk index (0–100, higher = more risk) | 96.3 — Relatively High | 97.1 — Relatively High |
| Flood insurance / yr | $650 | $700 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $800 | $300 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 27.4 | 20.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.90 | 3.60 |
| Natural gas / mo | $68 | $82 |
| Water & sewer / mo | $164 | $57 |
| Home internet / mo | $110 | $77 |
| Violent crime /100k (state avg) | 760 | 430 |
| Avg summer high °F | 65 | 85 |
| Avg winter low °F | 5 | 15 |
| Annual precipitation (in) | 16.6 | 40.9 |
| Annual snowfall (in) | 74.0 | 38.8 |
| Sunshine (% possible) | 41% | 54% |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |
Ad · affiliate links
Find a job in Anchorage or Chicago
Openings in each metro, so you can check what your salary actually looks like before you move.