Groups > Alaska is HOT!

I was up there in 1948 - 49 and had to leave in 1950. It doesn't seen like 60 years ago but they were gun toting days and expensive then. the only thing that was cheap then was Booze. I look at the Anchorage newspaper on the internet once in awhile but I don't see any prices, could you give me some examples? food, movie and apartments/homes "etc". Thanks

Hello jermann ... I don't know if this is the kind of info you want but here are some links that you can look at:

1) State of Alaska price index -

http://www.labor.state.ak.us/research/col/col.pdf

2) Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics price index -

http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ak.htm

3) Alaska Dept of Labor Average Weekly wages from late 2007 -

http://www.bls.gov/ro9/qcewak.htm

As you know, it's not the price or wages that determines whether a place is expensive. It's a ratio those two ... what percentage of one's income goes for food, housing, transportation, etc. So just knowing how much something costs doesn't say much unless one knows also what the wages are. Both wages and expenses are higher here, but as a ratio, Alaska expenses are not too far different from the national average, although we are likely slightly more expensive. The difference now is certainly much closer than it was in the late '40s when you were here! For one thing, our gasoline and natural gas prices are probably a little less because we have a source of supply here as well as refineries ...

JON, Thank you for all that information, it was all very

interesting, I learned a lot, and I'm sure anybody who is

thinking of moving up there should read these, they give all

you what you need to know, but more than what I needed,

I just wanted to know what does Bread, eggs and gallon of

milk cost? Now I can say I lived in one of the hottest

(Las Vegas, but it's dry heat) and one of the Coldest

(Alaska, but it's a dry cold) places in America. Thanks again

Hello again jermann ....

Milk is $3.50 a gallon. A carton of 18 eggs is $4.49. A loaf of bread varies depending what kind of bread it is ...

You didn't ask, but a gallon of regular gas varies from different parts of the state ... as you might know, we have our own refineries here, but we have to compete internationally for the price of crude oil. Alaska was the first to go over $4.00 per gallon last May ... it bounces around wildly here now, just like everywhere else.

Oh. That dry cold is an interior thing ... in Southcentral (Anchorage and the Kenai) and the Panhandle it's wet but not as cold as the interior.

Hope this helps.

Jon