Cost of Living: Fairbanks, AK vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,516/mo in Fairbanks, AK versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 21.43% of gross in Fairbanks, AK versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Fairbanks, AK tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Fairbanks, AK
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Fairbanks, AK
21.43%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Los Angeles, CA
25.99%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Fairbanks, AK and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Fairbanks, AK
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Fairbanks, AK
  • Lower home prices: Fairbanks, AK
  • Higher median household income: Los Angeles, CA

Cost of Living Index

Fairbanks, AK: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

Fairbanks, AK has a lower cost-of-living index than Los Angeles, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Fairbanks, AK: $1,397/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $298/mo higher than in Fairbanks, AK.

Median Home Price

Fairbanks, AK: $255,700 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $402,000 higher than in Fairbanks, AK.

Median Household Income

Fairbanks, AK: $72,077 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Los Angeles, CA has a higher median household income than Fairbanks, AK by $2,708.

Fairbanks, AK overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons