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 | Phoenix | Tuscaloosa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,322/mo | $980/mo | 34.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $340,200 | $228,300 | 49.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $72,092 | $47,257 | 52.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 98.7 | 5.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 94.8 | 31.9% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 100.5 | 4.0% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 94.8 | 9.9% higher 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 Phoenix, you'd need $74,132 in Tuscaloosa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tuscaloosa, AL is about 25.9% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% lower in Tuscaloosa than in Phoenix. If you earn $80,000 in Phoenix, you'd need about $59,306 in Tuscaloosa to keep the same standard of living.