Moving to Alabama from Hawaii

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Hawaii to Alabama — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Hawaii to Alabama, you would find that Alabama is 29.9% cheaper than Hawaii. A $75,000 salary in Hawaii would need to be roughly $46,200 in Alabama to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Hawaii to Alabama.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $46,200

To maintain the same standard of living in Alabama

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 32.3% less

Groceries

pay 47.4% less

Transportation

pay 25.1% less

Housing

pay 35.2% less

Childcare

pay 21.3% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 27.8% 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

How Hawaii and Alabama stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

HI
187
AL
397
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

HI
1672
AL
1671

Hawaii generally does better on safety, though Alabama leads in property crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

HI
3.6%
AL
9.0%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

HI
25.6%
AL
39.6%

Hawaii performs better than Alabama across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

HI
$808,200
AL
$195,100
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

HI
$1,938
AL
$963

Alabama performs significantly better than Hawaii 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

HI
91.2%
AL
85.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

HI
26 min
AL
25 min

Hawaii 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

HI
2.2%
AL
2.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

HI
$64,124
AL
$49,225

Hawaii performs better than Alabama across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

HI
80.7 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

HI
25%
AL
18%

Hawaii 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.

Honolulu Rain: 17.1 in/yr (434 mm)
84° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Honolulu Montgomery
Jan–Mar 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) 63°/40°F (17°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) 84°/60°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/74°F (31°/24°C) 90°/69°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) 69°/45°F (21°/7°C)
View all months
Month Honolulu Montgomery
Jan 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C)
Feb 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C)
Mar 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C)
Apr 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C)
May 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C)
Jun 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C)
Jul 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C)
Aug 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C)
Sep 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C)
Oct 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C)
Nov 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C)
Dec 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°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 Hawaii?

Generally yes: Alabama runs about 38% cheaper than Hawaii on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Alabama?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $11,550 in Alabama for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Alabama safe?

Hawaii generally does better on safety, though Alabama leads in property crime rate.

How is healthcare in Alabama compared to Hawaii?

Hawaii performs better than Alabama across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Montgomery is 76°F, compared to 84°F in Honolulu. Montgomery receives around 53.1 in of rainfall per year, while Honolulu gets 17.1 in.

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