Moving to Minnesota from Alabama
What to Expect
Considering a move from Alabama to Minnesota? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Alabama to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 15.8% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $85,786 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Saint Paul averages 56°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 Minnesota.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $85,786
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 11.6% more
Groceries
pay 9.2% more
Transportation
pay 14.1% more
Housing
pay 11.8% more
Childcare
pay 29.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.0% 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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 generally does better on what about housing?, though Minnesota leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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 | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Montgomery | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) |
| Feb | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) |
| Mar | 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) |
| Apr | 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
| May | 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Jul | 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) |
| Sep | 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota than Alabama?
On average Minnesota is around 14% pricier than Alabama, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
Budget about $21,446 for 3 months in Minnesota (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Minnesota safe?
Alabama generally does better on safety, though Minnesota leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Alabama?
Minnesota performs significantly better than Alabama across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Alabama?
The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.
