Overall
Maine feels cheaper overall
Maine has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Alaska by 15.5 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Alaska vs Maine: Cost of Living
Maine is cheaper overall by 15.5 cost-of-living points, but Alaska has no state income tax, but Maine has lower median home values.
Alaska
AK • West
125.8
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Maine
ME • Northeast
110.3
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Alaska
125.8
Maine
110.3
Difference: 15.5 points — Maine leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.2x more for a home
Maine has the lower median home value, while buying in Alaska costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Maine puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Maine than in Alaska, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Alaska has no state income tax
Alaska gives residents a cleaner paycheck-level tax advantage, while Maine still taxes income at the state level.
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
Maine
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
110.3
Regional price parity
100.6
Regular gas price
$3.967/gal
Electricity price
30.73 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,064/mo
Median home value
$274,400
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
7.15%
State sales tax
5.50%
Property tax
1.02%
Income
Median household income
$70,171
Income after median rent
$4,784
Minimum wage
$15.10/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Legal
What Stands Out
- Maine has lower median home values.
- Alaska has no state income tax.
- Maine has the lower overall cost index.
- Alaska has the higher median household income.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Alaska vs Maine: Cost of Living in context
Maine has a cost of living of 110.3, compared with 125.8 in Alaska. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Alaska
125.8
Maine
110.3
Difference
15.5 points
People Also Ask
Alaska vs Maine Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Alaska's cost of living?
Alaska's cost of living is 125.8.
Q What is Maine's cost of living?
Maine's cost of living is 110.3.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Alaska or Maine?
Maine is cheaper overall by 15.5 cost-of-living points, but Alaska has no state income tax, but Maine has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Alaska vs Maine
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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.