Moving to Indiana from Alabama
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Alabama to Indiana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Alabama to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 4.0% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $80,204 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Indianapolis averages 62°F vs 76°F in Montgomery, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Alabama to Indiana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $80,204
To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 0.6% more
Groceries
pay 8.7% less
Transportation
pay 0.2% more
Housing
pay 11.7% more
Childcare
pay 20.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.4% less
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 Indiana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Indiana performs significantly better than Alabama 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
Indiana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in adult smoking rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Alabama generally does better on what about housing?, though Indiana leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Indiana performs significantly better than Alabama across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Indiana 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
Indiana 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 | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) | 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Montgomery | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) | 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) |
| Mar | 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) |
| Apr | 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) |
| May | 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) | 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) | 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) |
| Aug | 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) |
| Oct | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) | 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) | 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Indiana than Alabama?
No — Indiana is on average about 7% more expensive than Alabama. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Indiana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,051 in Indiana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Indiana safe?
Indiana performs significantly better than Alabama across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Alabama?
Indiana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in Indiana compared to Alabama?
The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.
