Moving to Alabama from Texas

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Texas to Alabama, you would find that Alabama is 9.9% cheaper than Texas. A $75,000 salary in Texas would need to be roughly $67,205 in Alabama to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $67,205

To maintain the same standard of living in Alabama

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 9.6% less

Groceries

pay 4.0% more

Transportation

pay 9.3% less

Housing

pay 17.9% less

Childcare

pay 13.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.9% 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 Texas 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

TX
391
AL
397
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TX
2153
AL
1671

Texas 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

TX
16.0%
AL
9.0%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

TX
36.8%
AL
39.6%

Texas 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

TX
$260,400
AL
$195,100
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

TX
$1,339
AL
$963

Alabama performs significantly better than Texas 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

TX
90.1%
AL
85.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

TX
27 min
AL
25 min

Texas 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

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

a broad measure of economic output per person

TX
$70,071
AL
$49,225

Texas 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

TX
76.5 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

TX
20%
AL
18%

Texas 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.

Austin Rain: 36.2 in/yr (920 mm)
79° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Austin Montgomery
Jan–Mar 65°/40°F (18°/5°C) 63°/40°F (17°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) 84°/60°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 93°/70°F (34°/21°C) 90°/69°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) 69°/45°F (21°/7°C)
View all months
Month Austin Montgomery
Jan 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C) 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C)
Feb 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C) 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C)
Mar 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C) 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C)
Apr 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C) 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C)
May 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C) 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C)
Jun 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C) 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C)
Jul 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C) 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C)
Aug 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C) 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C)
Sep 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C) 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C)
Oct 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C) 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C)
Nov 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C) 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C)
Dec 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°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 Texas?

Generally yes: Alabama runs about 10% cheaper than Texas 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 $16,801 in Alabama for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Alabama safe?

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

How is healthcare in Alabama compared to Texas?

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

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

The average high temperature in Montgomery is 76°F, compared to 79°F in Austin. Montgomery receives around 53.1 in of rainfall per year, while Austin gets 36.2 in.

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