Moving to Illinois from Alabama
What to Expect
Considering a move from Alabama to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Alabama to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 19.3% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $85,790 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Springfield averages 63°F vs 76°F in Montgomery, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Alabama and Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $85,790
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.8% more
Groceries
pay 0.8% more
Transportation
pay 17.5% more
Housing
pay 19.6% more
Childcare
pay 47.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.5% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Illinois compared to Alabama.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Alabama generally does better on safety, though Illinois leads in violent crime rate.
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
Illinois performs significantly better than Alabama across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Alabama performs better than Illinois 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 Illinois 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
Illinois 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
Illinois 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 | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Montgomery | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Alabama?
On average Illinois is around 14% pricier than Alabama, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $21,448 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Illinois safe?
Alabama generally does better on safety, though Illinois leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Alabama?
Illinois performs significantly better than Alabama across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Alabama?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.
