City comparison
Monroe, LA is about 350 miles (550 km) from Montgomery, AL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 425 miles, or about 7 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 Monroe, LA to Montgomery, AL takes about 41 min, covering roughly 350 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 47,631 in Monroe — about 4.2× larger by population. By land area, Montgomery covers about 160 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Monroe.
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 | Monroe | Montgomery | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $790/mo | $1,026/mo | 29.9% higher in Montgomery |
| Median home value | $158,200 | $141,900 | 11.5% higher in Monroe |
| Median household income | $36,550 | $54,166 | 48.2% higher in Montgomery |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 96.6 | 2.6% higher in Montgomery |
| Utilities index | 74.3 | 85.8 | 15.6% higher in Montgomery |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 97.0 | 0.9% higher in Montgomery |
| Healthcare index | 95.6 | 96.5 | 0.9% higher in Montgomery |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Monroe, you'd need $114,909 in Montgomery to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Monroe, LA is about 13% cheaper overall than Montgomery, AL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 48% higher in Montgomery than in Monroe. If you earn $80,000 in Monroe, you'd need about $91,927 in Montgomery to keep the same standard of living.