Moving to Alabama from South Carolina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Carolina to Alabama — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Carolina to Alabama, you would find that Alabama is 10.4% cheaper than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $62,424 in Alabama to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Montgomery averages 76°F vs 66°F in Columbia, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Carolina to Alabama.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $62,424
To maintain the same standard of living in Alabama
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 13.8% less
Groceries
pay 10.7% less
Transportation
pay 0.5% less
Housing
pay 18.8% less
Childcare
pay 17.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.1% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from South Carolina to Alabama.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Alabama performs significantly better than South Carolina 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
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in uninsured rate.
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 South Carolina leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
South Carolina generally does better on infrastructure, though Alabama leads in average commute.
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
South Carolina 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
South Carolina 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Columbia | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Alabama than South Carolina?
Yes — Alabama is on average about 17% cheaper than South Carolina. 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 $15,606 in Alabama on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Alabama safe?
Alabama performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Alabama compared to South Carolina?
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Alabama compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Montgomery is 76°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Montgomery receives around 53.1 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
