Moving to Massachusetts from Alabama
What to Expect
Considering a move from Alabama to Massachusetts? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Alabama to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 36.2% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $102,000 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Boston averages 59°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 Massachusetts.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $102,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 14.2% more
Groceries
pay 23.1% more
Transportation
pay 12.1% more
Housing
pay 78.2% more
Childcare
pay 51.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.5% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Massachusetts cost about 29% more than cities in Alabama.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Massachusetts compared to Alabama.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Massachusetts 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
Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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
Massachusetts 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
Massachusetts performs significantly better than Alabama across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Montgomery | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Montgomery | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) |
| Feb | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) |
| Mar | 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) |
| Apr | 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) |
| Sep | 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) |
| Dec | 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Massachusetts than Alabama?
On average Massachusetts is around 36% pricier than Alabama, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?
Budget about $25,500 for 3 months in Massachusetts (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Massachusetts safe?
Massachusetts performs significantly better than Alabama across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Massachusetts compared to Alabama?
Massachusetts performs significantly better than Alabama across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Massachusetts compared to Alabama?
The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.
