Cost of living in Montgomery research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Montgomery is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Alabama, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Montgomery is 86, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Montgomery is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Montgomery ranks as the #32 cheapest in Alabama out of 115.
Montgomery ranks as the #938 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Montgomery is $125,600.
The median income in Montgomery is $49,989.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Montgomery has an overall cost of living index of 86, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Montgomery has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Alabama's index of 88.
The standard of living in Montgomery ranks as #32 most affordable out of the 115 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Montgomery ranks as the #83 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Montgomery, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Montgomery. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Montgomery is 91.
The Groceries index in Montgomery is 98.
The Health index in Montgomery is 85.
The Housing index in Montgomery is 70.
The Transportation index in Montgomery is 94.
The Utilities index in Montgomery is 98.
Living Expense | Montgomery | Alabama | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 86 | 88 | 100 | |
Services | 91 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 98 | 97 | 100 | |
Health | 85 | 88 | 100 | |
Housing | 70 | 69 | 100 | |
Transportation | 94 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 98 | 101 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Alabama, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Montgomery is $125,600.
The Median Rent in Montgomery is $939.
The Median Income in Montgomery is $49,989.
The Home Value To Income in Montgomery is 2.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Montgomery is 0.23x.
Statistic | Montgomery | Alabama | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $125,600 | $157,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $939 | $852 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $49,989 | $54,943 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.5x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Montgomery | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.0 | $1.06 |
Movie | $8.42 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $16.47 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $17.8 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $41.47 | $39.05 |
Item | Montgomery | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.53 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.37 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.42 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.21 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $9.59 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.69 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.21 | $2.34 |
Item | Montgomery | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $85.33 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $92.87 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $68.27 | $99.13 |
Item | Montgomery | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $1.99 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $47.39 | $50.07 |
Item | Montgomery | Alabama |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $167.8 | $167.67 |
Phone | $181.81 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Montgomery. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Auburn, AL has a cost of living index of 105, 1.2x Montgomery.
Prattville, AL has a cost of living index of 92, 1.1x Montgomery.
Selma, AL has a cost of living index of 81, 0.9x Montgomery.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Montgomery |
---|---|---|---|
Auburn, AL | 74,637 | 105 | 1.2x |
Prattville, AL | 37,977 | 92 | 1.1x |
Selma, AL | 18,429 | 81 | 0.9x |
Troy, AL | 17,765 | 87 | 1.0x |
Millbrook, AL | 16,675 | 92 | 1.1x |
Pike Road, AL | 9,193 | 105 | 1.2x |
Wetumpka, AL | 7,025 | 87 | 1.0x |