Cost of Living: Athens, AL vs Birmingham, AL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Athens, AL versus $4,224/mo in Birmingham, AL. In the model, rent is about 12.15% of gross in Athens, AL versus 21.03% in Birmingham, AL, so Athens, AL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Athens, AL
$4,224/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Birmingham, AL
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Athens, AL
12.15%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Birmingham, AL
21.03%
COLI tier: lower-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Athens, AL and Birmingham, AL.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Birmingham, AL
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Athens, AL
  • Lower home prices: Athens, AL
  • Higher median household income: Birmingham, AL

Cost of Living Index

Athens, AL: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Birmingham, AL: 84.6 (U.S. = 100)

Birmingham, AL has a lower cost-of-living index than Athens, AL, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Athens, AL: $793/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Birmingham, AL: $1,372/mo

Median rent in Birmingham, AL is $579/mo higher than in Athens, AL.

Median Home Price

Athens, AL: $253,700 · Birmingham, AL: $891,300

Median home price in Birmingham, AL is $637,600 higher than in Athens, AL.

Median Household Income

Athens, AL: $65,000 · Birmingham, AL: $191,128

Birmingham, AL has a higher median household income than Athens, AL by $126,128.

Athens, AL overview · Birmingham, AL overview · Popular comparisons