

Auburn vs Montgomery
$338/mo more in Montgomery
AuburnMontgomeryAbout 52 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Montgomery leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 229 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,037/mo in Montgomery. $1,699/mo in Auburn. +$4,056 a year.
Auburn
$1,699
left each month
Montgomery
$2,037
+$338 vs Auburn
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 336 households moved Auburn → Montgomery (avg AGI $49,869). 416 went the other way. The whole move →
+$338 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Auburn | Montgomery | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,417 | $6,837 | +$421 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,573 | $1,723 | +$150 |
| Take-home pay | $4,844 | $5,114 | +$271 |
| Rent | $1,224 | $1,121 | −$103 |
| Getting around | $557 | $591 | +$34 |
| Groceries | $376 | $376 | $0 |
| Healthcare | $423 | $423 | $0 |
| Utilities | $235 | $235 | $0 |
| Everything else | $329 | $329 | $0 |
| Left over | $1,699 | $2,037 | +$338 |
Salary to match Auburn
$75,500
Gross pay in Montgomery that leaves the same amount as $77,000 in Auburn.
Tax difference
−$303
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.5% in Auburn, 25.2% in Montgomery.
More about Montgomery
Auburn, AL in full
State income tax topping out at 5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,457 and 222 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
Montgomery, AL in full
State income tax topping out at 5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,335 and 229 sunny days; commutes average 24 minutes.
The other way
Start in Montgomery.
Montgomery → Auburn →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Montgomery than Auburn?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Montgomery leaves about $338 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,224 in Auburn and $1,121 in Montgomery.
Does Montgomery have state income tax?
Montgomery is in Alabama, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 1.00%.
What changes if you move from Auburn to Montgomery?
The paycheck is taxed in Alabama. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Auburn and Montgomery changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.