Overall
- Montgomery
- 89.7
- Columbia
- 89.4
Diff -0.2 RPP
Montgomery vs Columbia
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Columbia is 0.3% less expensive than Montgomery.
0.3% less expensive
Columbia, MO is 0.3% less expensive than Montgomery, AL on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 89.4 vs 89.7). A $100,000 salary in Montgomery buys about the same as $99,728 in Columbia; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 89.7 (Montgomery) vs 89.4 (Columbia)
- $100k in Montgomery ≈ $99,728 purchasing power in Columbia
- Rents drives the gap (+4.9 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair AL:MO 89.7→89.4
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE AL × MO
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Montgomery
89.7
Cost Index
Columbia
89.4
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Montgomery, AL and Columbia, MO are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.2 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Columbia is 4.9 points higher. But rents and services move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Montgomery corresponds to $99,728 in Columbia.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Montgomery
- 96.4
- Columbia
- 94.2
Diff -2.2 RPP
Services
- Montgomery
- 84.9
- Columbia
- 86.0
Diff +1.1 RPP
Rents
- Montgomery
- 64.3
- Columbia
- 69.2
Diff +4.9 RPP
| Category | Montgomery | Columbia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 89.7 | 89.4 | -0.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 94.2 | -2.2 |
| Services | 84.9 | 86.0 | +1.1 |
| Rents | 64.3 | 69.2 | +4.9 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Montgomery 89.7
Columbia 89.4
Goods
Montgomery 96.4
Columbia 94.2
Services
Montgomery 84.9
Columbia 86.0
Rents
Montgomery 64.3
Columbia 69.2
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Montgomery would need to be in Columbia for the same purchasing power:
| In Montgomery | In Columbia | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,864 | $-136 |
| $75,000 | $74,796 | $-204 |
| $100,000 | $99,728 | $-272 |
| $150,000 | $149,592 | $-408 |
$ in Montgomery = in Columbia
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (89.7 → 89.4), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Columbia more expensive than Montgomery?
Columbia is 0.3% less expensive than Montgomery. The overall cost index is 89.4 vs 89.7 (national average = 100).
What salary in Columbia equals $100K in Montgomery?
A $100,000 salary in Montgomery has the same purchasing power as $99,728 in Columbia. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Montgomery and Columbia?
Rents in Montgomery are indexed at 64.3 while Columbia is at 69.2 (national average = 100). Columbia has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.