City comparison
Montgomery, AL is about 100 miles (150 km) from Tuscaloosa, AL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 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 Montgomery, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL takes about 11 min, covering roughly 100 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 105,797 in Tuscaloosa — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Montgomery covers about 160 sq mi vs 63 sq mi for Tuscaloosa.
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 | Montgomery | Tuscaloosa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,026/mo | $980/mo | 4.7% higher in Montgomery |
| Median home value | $141,900 | $228,300 | 60.9% higher in Tuscaloosa |
| Median household income | $54,166 | $47,257 | 14.6% higher in Montgomery |
| Groceries index | 96.6 | 96.6 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.8 | 85.3 | ≈ equal (Montgomery slightly higher) |
| 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 Montgomery, you'd need $96,941 in Tuscaloosa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tuscaloosa, AL is about 3.1% cheaper overall than Montgomery, AL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% higher in Montgomery than in Tuscaloosa. If you earn $80,000 in Montgomery, you'd need about $77,553 in Tuscaloosa to keep the same standard of living.