City comparison
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 | Birmingham | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $1,714/mo | 41.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $123,000 | $732,100 | 83.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $42,464 | $76,607 | 44.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 103.2 | 5.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 94.1 | 147.4 | 36.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 80.5 | 100.7 | 20.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 92.8 | 99.9 | 7.1% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Birmingham, you'd need $140,953 in New York to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Birmingham, AL is about 29.1% cheaper overall than New York, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 42% lower in Birmingham than in New York. If you earn $80,000 in Birmingham, you'd need about $112,762 in New York to keep the same standard of living.