Moving to Arizona from Alabama
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Alabama to Arizona — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Alabama to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 13.0% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $89,183 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°F vs 76°F in Montgomery, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Alabama to Arizona.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $89,183
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 17.8% more
Groceries
pay 1.2% less
Transportation
pay 9.2% more
Housing
pay 44.6% more
Childcare
pay 3.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.3% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Alabama to Arizona.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Alabama performs better than Arizona across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Alabama performs better than Arizona across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Alabama generally does better on infrastructure, though Arizona leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Arizona generally does better on employment & economy, though Alabama leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Arizona performs significantly better than Alabama across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Montgomery | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Montgomery | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than Alabama?
No — Arizona is on average about 19% more expensive than Alabama. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $22,296 in Arizona on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Arizona safe?
Alabama performs better than Arizona across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to Alabama?
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to Alabama?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.
