Moving to Missouri from Alabama
What to Expect
Considering a move from Alabama to Missouri? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Alabama to Missouri, you would find that Missouri is 7.7% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $77,437 in Missouri to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°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 Missouri.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $77,437
To maintain the same standard of living in Missouri
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 1.9% more
Groceries
pay 1.6% more
Transportation
pay 29.5% more
Housing
pay 5.4% more
Childcare
pay 7.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.9% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Missouri compared to Alabama.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Alabama performs better than Missouri 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
Missouri 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 performs better than Missouri across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Missouri 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
Missouri 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
Missouri 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 | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Montgomery | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Missouri than Alabama?
On average Missouri is around 3% pricier than Alabama, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Missouri?
Budget about $19,359 for 3 months in Missouri (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Missouri safe?
Alabama performs better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Missouri compared to Alabama?
Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in Missouri compared to Alabama?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.
