City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Anchorage | Cary | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,405/mo | $1,538/mo | 8.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $363,800 | $477,400 | 23.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $95,731 | $125,317 | 23.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 97.2 | 9.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 115.8 | 90.7 | 27.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 103.7 | 98.9 | 4.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 103.6 | 97.2 | 6.6% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Anchorage, you'd need $94,396 in Cary to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Cary, NC is about 5.6% cheaper overall than Anchorage, AK, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Anchorage, you'd need about $75,517 in Cary to keep the same standard of living.