Overall
Florida feels cheaper overall
Florida has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Alaska by 25.3 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Alaska vs Florida: Cost of Living
Florida is cheaper overall by 25.3 cost-of-living points, but Alaska has lower median home values.
Alaska
AK • West
125.8
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Florida
FL • South
100.5
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Alaska
125.8
Florida
100.5
Difference: 25.3 points — Florida leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.1x more for a home
Alaska has the lower median home value, while buying in Florida costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Alaska puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Alaska than in Florida, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Florida keeps more income after state tax
Florida has the lower top state income tax rate, which softens the total cost picture even when prices are close.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Alaska
Overall 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 with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
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
Florida
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
100.5
Regional price parity
100.7
Regular gas price
$4.198/gal
Electricity price
15.92 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,444/mo
Median home value
$348,000
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
None (0%)
State sales tax
6.00%
Property tax
0.76%
Income
Median household income
$67,917
Income after median rent
$4,216
Minimum wage
$14.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Medical
What Stands Out
- Alaska has lower median home values.
- Florida has the lower overall cost index.
- Alaska has the higher median household income.
- Alaska looks more attainable on home value to income ratio.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Alaska vs Florida: Cost of Living in context
Florida has a cost of living of 100.5, compared with 125.8 in Alaska. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Alaska
125.8
Florida
100.5
Difference
25.3 points
People Also Ask
Alaska vs Florida Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Alaska's cost of living?
Alaska's cost of living is 125.8.
Q What is Florida's cost of living?
Florida's cost of living is 100.5.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Alaska or Florida?
Florida is cheaper overall by 25.3 cost-of-living points, but Alaska has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Alaska vs Florida
Grouped tabs keep the deep-dive links tighter and easier to scan.
Explore Each State
Alaska Symbols
Florida Symbols
Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.