City comparison
Mobile, AL is about 150 miles (250 km) from Montgomery, AL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 min 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 Mobile, AL to Montgomery, AL takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 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 186,316 in Mobile — about the same size. By land area, Montgomery covers about 160 sq mi vs 150 sq mi for Mobile.
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 | Mobile | Montgomery | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $985/mo | $1,026/mo | 4.2% higher in Montgomery |
| Median home value | $158,400 | $141,900 | 11.6% higher in Mobile |
| Median household income | $48,524 | $54,166 | 11.6% higher in Montgomery |
| Groceries index | 96.6 | 96.6 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.1 | 85.8 | 0.8% 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 Mobile, you'd need $102,238 in Montgomery to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Mobile, AL is about 2.2% cheaper overall than Montgomery, AL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% higher in Montgomery than in Mobile. If you earn $80,000 in Mobile, you'd need about $81,790 in Montgomery to keep the same standard of living.