Moving from San Diego to Anchorage
You'd keep $1,218 more a month in Anchorage
+$14,616 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
San Diego leftover
$1,581
a month after tax and rent
Anchorage leftover
$2,799
+$1,218 vs San Diego
| Per month | San Diego | Anchorage | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,500 | $8,157 | −$343 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,281 | $1,720 | −$561 |
| Take-home pay | $6,219 | $6,437 | +$218 |
| Rent | $2,291 | $1,346 | −$945 |
| Getting around | $650 | $636 | −$14 |
| Groceries | $468 | $457 | −$11 |
| Healthcare | $527 | $514 | −$13 |
| Utilities | $293 | $286 | −$7 |
| Everything else | $410 | $400 | −$10 |
| Left over | $1,581 | $2,799 | +$1,218 |
To break even in Anchorage, you'd need to earn
$77,000
Household gross, versus $102,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as San Diego does now.
The tax difference alone
+$5,513
A year, in state and local income tax. Alaska has no wage income tax.
More about Anchorage
San Diego, CA in full
The best climate in the country and rents that know it.
Anchorage, AK in full
No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,602 and 138 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Anchorage on Anchorage wages.
Anchorage → San Diego →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Anchorage than San Diego?
A one-bedroom is about $2,291 in San Diego versus $1,346 in Anchorage. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $1,218 a month higher in Anchorage. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Anchorage have state income tax?
Anchorage is in Alaska, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from San Diego to Anchorage?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Alaska tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.