Last updated 2026-07-10 ยท MovePlan Editorial Team
Some of the lowest housing costs in the South, warm winters, and an easy pace.
1. Montgomery: Cheapest big city
2. Tuscaloosa: Best college-town value
3. Birmingham: Best for jobs on a budget
4. Dothan: Cheapest overall
5. Mobile: Best coastal value
6. Auburn: Best for students and families
7. Florence: Best small city
8. Gadsden: Best for affordability
Alabama is genuinely cheap, with home prices and rents well below the national average and warm winters that keep heating bills low. From college towns to coastal cities, here are the 8 cheapest places to live in Alabama, ranked.