Is Columbus cheaper than Montgomery?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Columbus and Montgomery metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Columbus or Montgomery?

Montgomery has the higher median household income — $66,706 versus $60,100 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 11% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Columbus or Montgomery?

A paycheck stretches further in Montgomery. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $74,381 there versus $67,304 in Columbus.

Which has cheaper rent, Columbus or Montgomery?

Rents are close — $1,143/mo in the Columbus metro versus $1,141/mo in Montgomery (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Columbus vs Montgomery

Metro-area medians — Columbus, GA-AL Metro Area vs Montgomery, AL Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Montgomery comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

Columbus and Montgomery cost about the same to live in, but Montgomery households earn about 11% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Montgomery.

Their widest everyday difference: Montgomery has the tighter job market — 3.5% unemployment versus 5.2%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Columbus, GA

$58,044

take-home / yr · 23% to tax

$65,002

real value after local prices

Montgomery, AL

$57,754

take-home / yr · 23% to tax

$64,398

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Columbus leaves you about $603/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Columbus

Montgomery

Livability (CityLedger)

31/100

47/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

89.3

89.7

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$67,304

$74,381

Median household income

$60,100

$66,706

Median rent

$1,143/mo

$1,141/mo

Median home value

$224,600

$220,500

Unemployment

5.2%

3.5%

Bachelor's degree or higher

27.6%

33.2%

Average commute

24 min

24.8 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

67°F

66°F

Choose Columbus for

+ Average commute

Full Columbus profile →

Choose Montgomery for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median household income
+ Unemployment
+ Bachelor's degree or higher
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Montgomery profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Columbus and Montgomery on cost, income, size, and education.

Columbus vs Mobile→Columbus vs Lynchburg→Columbus vs Macon→Montgomery vs Jackson→Montgomery vs Lynchburg→Montgomery vs Mobile→

Columbus vs Montgomery — frequently asked

Is Columbus cheaper than Montgomery?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Columbus and Montgomery metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Columbus or Montgomery?: Montgomery has the higher median household income — $66,706 versus $60,100 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 11% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Columbus or Montgomery?: A paycheck stretches further in Montgomery. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $74,381 there versus $67,304 in Columbus.
Which has cheaper rent, Columbus or Montgomery?: Rents are close — $1,143/mo in the Columbus metro versus $1,141/mo in Montgomery (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).