Moving to Alabama from Florida

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Florida to Alabama — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Florida to Alabama, you would find that Alabama is 11.0% cheaper than Florida. A $75,000 salary in Florida would need to be roughly $59,258 in Alabama to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Florida to Alabama.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $59,258

To maintain the same standard of living in Alabama

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 15.0% less

Groceries

pay 8.6% less

Transportation

pay 7.8% less

Housing

pay 26.3% less

Childcare

pay 0.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 7.6% less

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Florida to Alabama.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

FL
280
AL
397
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

FL
1461
AL
1671

Florida performs better than Alabama across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

FL
11.0%
AL
9.0%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

FL
32.6%
AL
39.6%

Florida generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

FL
$325,000
AL
$195,100
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

FL
$1,564
AL
$963

Alabama performs significantly better than Florida across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

FL
90.4%
AL
85.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

FL
28 min
AL
25 min

Florida generally does better on infrastructure, though Alabama leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

FL
4.4%
AL
2.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

FL
$57,636
AL
$49,225

Florida generally does better on employment & economy, though Alabama leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

FL
77.5 yrs
AL
73.2 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

FL
22%
AL
18%

Florida performs 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.

Tallahassee Rain: 59.2 in/yr (1504 mm)
80° / 56°F

Avg. annual high / low

Montgomery Rain: 53.1 in/yr (1348 mm)
76° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tallahassee Montgomery
Jan–Mar 68°/43°F (20°/6°C) 63°/40°F (17°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 86°/61°F (30°/16°C) 84°/60°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 91°/71°F (33°/22°C) 90°/69°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 73°/48°F (23°/9°C) 69°/45°F (21°/7°C)
View all months
Month Tallahassee Montgomery
Jan 64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C) 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C)
Feb 67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C) 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C)
Mar 74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C) 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C)
Apr 80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C) 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C)
May 87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C) 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C)
Jun 91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C) 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C)
Jul 92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C) 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C)
Aug 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C) 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C)
Sep 88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C) 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C)
Oct 81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C) 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C)
Nov 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C) 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C)
Dec 65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C) 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Alabama than Florida?

Yes — Alabama is on average about 21% cheaper than Florida. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Alabama?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $14,814 in Alabama on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Alabama safe?

Florida performs better than Alabama across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Alabama compared to Florida?

Florida generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in Alabama compared to Florida?

The average high temperature in Montgomery is 76°F, compared to 80°F in Tallahassee. Montgomery receives around 53.1 in of rainfall per year, while Tallahassee gets 59.2 in.

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