Overall
Arkansas feels cheaper overall
Arkansas has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Alaska by 38.2 points on the overall affordability baseline.
See full data →
Quality of Life
Alaska vs Arkansas: Cost of Living
Arkansas is cheaper overall by 38.2 cost-of-living points, but Alaska has no state income tax, but Arkansas has lower median home values.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for cost of living.
Alaska
#46 · 125.8
Arkansas
#3 · 87.6
Best
Worst
10 Best States — Cost of Living
Lower is better
#1
West Virginia
83.6
West Virginia
#2
Mississippi
85.5
Mississippi
#3
Arkansas
87.6
Arkansas
#4
Kentucky
88.0
Kentucky
#5
Alabama
88.6
Alabama
#6
Oklahoma
88.6
Oklahoma
#7
Missouri
90.0
Missouri
#8
Kansas
90.2
Kansas
#9
Iowa
91.0
Iowa
#10
Ohio
91.0
Ohio
Selected states
#46
Alaska
125.8
Alaska
Alaska ranks 46th and Arkansas ranks 3rd nationally for cost of living.
Overview
Cost of Living in context
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Housing
pay about 2.1x more for a home
Arkansas has the lower median home value, while buying in Alaska costs materially more at the median.
See full data →Rent Pressure
Alaska puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Alaska than in Arkansas, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
See full data →Taxes
Alaska has no state income tax
Alaska gives residents a cleaner paycheck-level tax advantage, while Arkansas still taxes income at the state level.
See full data →Cost stack
AlaskaOverall affordability
- Cost of living index
- 125.8
- Regional price parity
- 102.7
- Regular gas price
- $4.619/gal
- Electricity price
- 25.52 c/kWh
Housing
- Median gross rent
- $1,352/mo
- Median home value
- $316,400
- Owner costs w/ mortgage
- $2,253/mo
- Owner costs w/o mortgage
- $698/mo
Taxes
- State income tax
- None (0%)
- State sales tax
- None (0%)
- Property tax
- 1.11%
Income
- Median household income
- $86,533
- Income after median rent
- $5,859
- Minimum wage
- $13.00/hr
Laws
- Gun laws
- Permissive
- Alcohol system
- License State
- Marijuana status
- Legal
ArkansasOverall affordability
- Cost of living index
- 87.6
- Regional price parity
- 86.1
- Regular gas price
- $3.610/gal
- Electricity price
- 12.35 c/kWh
Housing
- Median gross rent
- $881/mo
- Median home value
- $154,200
- Owner costs w/ mortgage
- $1,375/mo
- Owner costs w/o mortgage
- $450/mo
Taxes
- State income tax
- 4.40%
- State sales tax
- 6.50%
- Property tax
- 0.55%
Income
- Median household income
- $52,123
- Income after median rent
- $3,463
- Minimum wage
- $11.00/hr
Laws
- Gun laws
- Permissive
- Alcohol system
- License State
- Marijuana status
- Medical
What stands out
- Arkansas has lower median home values.
- Alaska has no state income tax.
- Arkansas has the lower overall cost index.
- Alaska has the higher median household income.
Affordability ratios
Home value to income
Alaska: 3.66x
Arkansas: 2.96x
Rent to income
Alaska: 18.7%
Arkansas: 20.3%
Owner costs to income
Alaska: 16.8%
Arkansas: 14.6%
Related pages
What this means
Alaska vs Arkansas: Cost of Living in context
Arkansas's cost of living is 87.6, compared with 125.8 in Alaska. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Alaska
125.8
Arkansas
87.6
Difference
38.2 points
People also ask
Alaska vs Arkansas Cost of Living — common questions
QWhat is Alaska's cost of living?
Alaska's cost of living is 125.8.
QWhat is Arkansas's cost of living?
Arkansas's cost of living is 87.6.
QWhich state has a lower cost of living — Alaska or Arkansas?
Arkansas is cheaper overall by 38.2 cost-of-living points, but Alaska has no state income tax, but Arkansas has lower median home values.
More comparisons: Alaska vs Arkansas
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Data source and freshness
Data period
2026 incorporated quarterly release
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Composite index where 100 equals the national average.