Alaska is considered OCONUS (outside the contiguous United States), so even though you are still in the United States in terms of abiding by the laws, speaking English and using American currency, an assignment here would be different from an assignment in the lower 48 in many ways.
As you can imagine, it takes a lot of time and energy to get goods and food to Fairbanks and the merchant's prices reflect this. In general, you can expect everything to cost more than it did at your previous CONUS base - food, gas, vehicles, furniture.
Home utility costs are not too different, as far as electricity, water, sewer, etc.. Most homes have a well and septic tank, which completely eliminates monthly fees. The major concern that results in increased costs is heating fuel during the winter. With outside temperatures reaching down into the -40s it will take a lot of fuel to keep your house at a comfortable temperature. Some homes are equipped with wood stoves, which greatly helps offset the cost.
BAH (Base Allowance for Housing) rules are the same as the lower 48. The rate is based on location, rank and dependents. This is not to be confused with OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance) which lowers your housing allowance to your exact monthly mortgage/rent payment. So if you find a home with a mortgage or rent payment less than your BAH you can keep the difference here. Keep in mind, BAH is only meant to cover 95% of your housing costs.
Military members stationed in Alaska can expect to receive a supplemental allowance every month called COLA (Cost of Living Allowance). This allowance is calculated based on rank, number of dependents and is specific for each base. It is calculated twice monthly and fluctuates based on the relative cost of living. This is not guaranteed money and service members should not rely on it for budgeting purposes.
FWW BAH Rates: https://www.fortwainwrighthousing.com/bah-rates
Eielson AFB BAH Rates: https://www.eielsonhousing.com/bah-rates
COLA Calculator: https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Overseas-Cost-of-Living-Allowance/Overseas-COLA-Rate-Lookup/
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