City comparison
Auburn, AL is about 50 miles (80 km) from Montgomery, AL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 1 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Auburn, AL to Montgomery, AL takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Montgomery has a population of 199,819, vs 76,660 in Auburn — about 2.6× larger by population. By land area, Montgomery covers about 160 sq mi vs 63 sq mi for Auburn.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Auburn | Montgomery | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $1,026/mo | 3.1% higher in Montgomery |
| Median home value | $327,000 | $141,900 | 130.4% higher in Auburn |
| Median household income | $55,509 | $54,166 | 2.5% higher in Auburn |
| Groceries index | 96.6 | 96.6 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 84.9 | 85.8 | 1.1% higher in Montgomery |
| Transportation index | 97.0 | 97.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 96.5 | 96.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Auburn, you'd need $101,286 in Montgomery to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Auburn, AL is about 1.3% cheaper overall than Montgomery, AL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Montgomery than in Auburn. If you earn $80,000 in Auburn, you'd need about $81,029 in Montgomery to keep the same standard of living.