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 | Decatur | Tuscaloosa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $801/mo | $980/mo | 18.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $170,000 | $228,300 | 25.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $55,164 | $47,257 | 16.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.1 | 97.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 87.8 | 87.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 97.8 | 97.8 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 96.1 | 96.1 | ≈ 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 Decatur, you'd need $102,262 in Tuscaloosa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Decatur, AL is about 2.2% cheaper overall than Tuscaloosa, AL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% lower in Decatur than in Tuscaloosa. If you earn $80,000 in Decatur, you'd need about $81,810 in Tuscaloosa to keep the same standard of living.