Moving to Alabama from Louisiana

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Louisiana to Alabama, you would find that Alabama is 0.5% cheaper than Louisiana. A $75,000 salary in Louisiana would need to be roughly $69,511 in Alabama to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $69,511

To maintain the same standard of living in Alabama

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 1.9% less

Groceries

pay 0.5% less

Transportation

pay 5.5% more

Housing

pay 7.3% less

Childcare

pay 9.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 5.7% 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 Louisiana 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

LA
543
AL
397
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

LA
2605
AL
1671

Alabama performs significantly better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

LA
7.9%
AL
9.0%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

LA
40.6%
AL
39.6%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

LA
$208,700
AL
$195,100
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

LA
$1,038
AL
$963

Alabama performs significantly better than Louisiana 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

LA
84.9%
AL
85.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

LA
26 min
AL
25 min

Alabama performs significantly better than Louisiana across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

LA
3.9%
AL
2.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

LA
$55,662
AL
$49,225

Alabama generally does better on employment & economy, though Louisiana leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

LA
73.1 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

LA
18%
AL
18%

Alabama performs significantly better than Louisiana 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.

Baton Rouge Rain: 60.6 in/yr (1540 mm)
79° / 58°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Baton Rouge Montgomery
Jan–Mar 67°/45°F (19°/7°C) 63°/40°F (17°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 85°/64°F (30°/18°C) 84°/60°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 91°/72°F (33°/22°C) 90°/69°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) 69°/45°F (21°/7°C)
View all months
Month Baton Rouge Montgomery
Jan 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C)
Feb 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.9°C) 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C)
Mar 73°/50°F (22.6°/10.2°C) 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C)
Apr 79°/57°F (26.3°/13.8°C) 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C)
May 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.4°C) 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C)
Jun 91°/71°F (32.7°/21.9°C) 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C)
Jul 92°/74°F (33.4°/23.2°C) 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C)
Aug 92°/73°F (33.6°/23.0°C) 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C)
Sep 89°/69°F (31.5°/20.3°C) 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C)
Oct 81°/58°F (27.1°/14.4°C) 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C)
Nov 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C)
Dec 64°/43°F (17.8°/5.9°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 Louisiana?

Generally yes: Alabama runs about 7% cheaper than Louisiana 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 $17,378 in Alabama for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Alabama safe?

Alabama performs significantly better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Alabama compared to Louisiana?

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

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

The average high temperature in Montgomery is 76°F, compared to 79°F in Baton Rouge. Montgomery receives around 53.1 in of rainfall per year, while Baton Rouge gets 60.6 in.

Share this