Moving to Georgia from Alabama

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Alabama to Georgia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Alabama to Georgia, you would find that Georgia is 12.3% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $87,379 in Georgia to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Alabama to Georgia.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $87,379

To maintain the same standard of living in Georgia

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 6.4% more

Groceries

pay 0.6% more

Transportation

pay 13.3% more

Housing

pay 31.0% more

Childcare

pay 12.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 10.5% 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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Alabama to Georgia.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AL
397
GA
343
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AL
1671
GA
1779

Alabama generally does better on safety, though Georgia leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AL
9.0%
GA
11.8%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AL
39.6%
GA
37.0%

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

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AL
$195,100
GA
$272,900
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AL
$963
GA
$1,306

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AL
85.9%
GA
89.5%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AL
25 min
GA
28 min

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AL
2.3%
GA
3.3%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AL
$49,225
GA
$61,706

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AL
73.2 yrs
GA
75.6 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AL
18%
GA
22%

Georgia 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

AtlantaRain: 49.7 in/yr (1263 mm)
72°/53°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsMontgomeryAtlanta
Jan–Mar63°/40°F (17°/4°C)58°/39°F (14°/4°C)
Apr–Jun84°/60°F (29°/16°C)79°/60°F (26°/16°C)
Jul–Sep90°/69°F (32°/21°C)86°/69°F (30°/20°C)
Oct–Dec69°/45°F (21°/7°C)64°/45°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
MonthMontgomeryAtlanta
Jan57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C)52°/34°F (11.3°/1.3°C)
Feb62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C)57°/38°F (13.7°/3.2°C)
Mar70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C)65°/44°F (18.1°/6.7°C)
Apr77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C)72°/51°F (22.5°/10.8°C)
May84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C)80°/60°F (26.6°/15.7°C)
Jun90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C)86°/68°F (30.2°/20.1°C)
Jul92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C)89°/71°F (31.7°/21.8°C)
Aug92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C)88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C)
Sep87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C)82°/65°F (27.9°/18.2°C)
Oct78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C)73°/54°F (22.6°/12.2°C)
Nov69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C)64°/44°F (17.6°/6.9°C)
Dec60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C)54°/36°F (12.2°/2.5°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Georgia than Alabama?

No — Georgia is on average about 17% more expensive than Alabama. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Georgia?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,845 in Georgia on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Georgia safe?

Alabama generally does better on safety, though Georgia leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in Georgia compared to Alabama?

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

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

The average high temperature in Atlanta is 72°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Atlanta receives around 49.7 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.

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