The Incredibly Expensive Price of Groceries in the Remote, Most Northern Alaskan Town of Barrow

In June 2017, we posted a three part look at Barrow, Alaska (which changed its name to Utqiaġvik in 2016), the most northern town in the United States and the people who live there. His and Hers Moments, a nomadic couple who travels all over the United States in an RV, spent some time in Barrow and documented a trip to the local grocery store. Because Barrow is so remote, the grocery store is more like a big box store that carries a great variety of different items, all of which can be bought at an extremely high price.

This store is more like a Walmart. It has everything furniture, shoes and over there the groceries. … 12 pack of soda is $12.95, a bag of Tostitos tortilla chips on sale for $10.74. How much is a one roll of toilet paper worth to you here? $2.60 and that’s not even the good stuff. Now this is fairly reasonably priced. I think you get a pack of condoms for $13 and it’s a pleasure pack.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.