Overall
- Fairbanks-College
- 103.2
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler
- 103.3
Diff +0.1 RPP
Fairbanks-College vs Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler is 0.1% more expensive than Fairbanks-College.
0.1% more expensive
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ is 0.1% more expensive than Fairbanks-College, AK on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 103.3 vs 103.2). A $100,000 salary in Fairbanks-College buys about the same as $100,105 in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 103.2 (Fairbanks-College) vs 103.3 (Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler)
- $100k in Fairbanks-College ≈ $100,105 purchasing power in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler
- Rents drives the gap (+28.7 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair AK:AZ 103.2→103.3
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-ABOVE · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE AK × AZ
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-ABOVE Both above 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Fairbanks-College
103.2
Cost Index
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler
103.3
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Fairbanks-College, AK and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.1 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler is 28.7 points higher. But services and goods move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros exceed the U.S. benchmark of 100. The choice is between two national premiums, so local wages need to clear the higher baseline in either market.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Fairbanks-College corresponds to $100,105 in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Fairbanks-College
- 107.3
Diff -12.3 RPP
Services
- Fairbanks-College
- 119.8
Diff -26.4 RPP
Rents
- Fairbanks-College
- 92.6
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler
- 121.2
Diff +28.7 RPP
| Category | Fairbanks-College | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 103.2 | 103.3 | +0.1 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 95.0 | -12.3 |
| Services | 119.8 | 93.3 | -26.4 |
| Rents | 92.6 | 121.2 | +28.7 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Fairbanks-College 103.2
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 103.3
Goods
Fairbanks-College 107.3
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 95.0
Services
Fairbanks-College 119.8
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 93.3
Rents
Fairbanks-College 92.6
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 121.2
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Fairbanks-College would need to be in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler for the same purchasing power:
| In Fairbanks-College | In Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $50,052 | +$52 |
| $75,000 | $75,078 | +$78 |
| $100,000 | $100,105 | +$105 |
| $150,000 | $150,157 | +$157 |
$ in Fairbanks-College = in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (103.2 → 103.3), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler more expensive than Fairbanks-College?
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler is 0.1% more expensive than Fairbanks-College. The overall cost index is 103.3 vs 103.2 (national average = 100).
What salary in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler equals $100K in Fairbanks-College?
A $100,000 salary in Fairbanks-College has the same purchasing power as $100,105 in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Fairbanks-College and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler?
Rents in Fairbanks-College are indexed at 92.6 while Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler is at 121.2 (national average = 100). Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.