Moving to Florida from Alabama

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Alabama to Florida? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Alabama to Florida, you would find that Florida is 16.1% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $94,924 in Florida to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Alabama and Florida.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $94,924

To maintain the same standard of living in Florida

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 18.6% more

Groceries

pay 9.9% more

Transportation

pay 9.5% more

Housing

pay 47.0% more

Childcare

pay 4.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 9.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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

The numbers behind daily life in Florida compared to Alabama.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AL
397
FL
280
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AL
1671
FL
1461

Florida performs significantly better than Alabama across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AL
9.0%
FL
11.0%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AL
39.6%
FL
32.6%

Florida generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AL
$195,100
FL
$325,000
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AL
$963
FL
$1,564

Alabama performs better than Florida across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AL
85.9%
FL
90.4%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AL
25 min
FL
28 min

Alabama generally does better on infrastructure, though Florida leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AL
2.3%
FL
4.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AL
$49,225
FL
$57,636

Florida generally does better on employment & economy, though Alabama leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AL
73.2 yrs
FL
77.5 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AL
18%
FL
22%

Florida 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.

Montgomery Rain: 53.1 in/yr (1348 mm)
76° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Tallahassee Rain: 59.2 in/yr (1504 mm)
80° / 56°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Montgomery Tallahassee
Jan–Mar 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) 68°/43°F (20°/6°C)
Apr–Jun 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) 86°/61°F (30°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) 91°/71°F (33°/22°C)
Oct–Dec 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) 73°/48°F (23°/9°C)
View all months
Month Montgomery Tallahassee
Jan 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) 64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C)
Feb 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) 67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C)
Mar 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) 74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C)
Apr 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) 80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C)
May 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) 87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C)
Jun 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) 91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C)
Jul 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) 92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C)
Aug 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C)
Sep 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) 88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C)
Oct 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) 81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C)
Nov 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C)
Dec 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) 65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Florida than Alabama?

On average Florida is around 27% pricier than Alabama, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Florida?

Budget about $23,731 for 3 months in Florida (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Florida safe?

Florida performs significantly better than Alabama across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Florida compared to Alabama?

Florida generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in Florida compared to Alabama?

The average high temperature in Tallahassee is 80°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Tallahassee receives around 59.2 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.

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