Cost of Living: Birmingham, AL vs Chattanooga, TN

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Birmingham, AL versus $4,516/mo in Chattanooga, TN. In the model, rent is about 21.03% of gross in Birmingham, AL versus 16.83% in Chattanooga, TN, so Chattanooga, TN tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Birmingham, AL
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Chattanooga, TN
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Birmingham, AL
21.03%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Chattanooga, TN
16.83%
COLI tier: lower-cost

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Birmingham, AL: 84.6 (U.S. = 100) · Chattanooga, TN: 88.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Birmingham, AL: $1,372/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chattanooga, TN: $1,098/mo

Median rent in Birmingham, AL is $274/mo higher than in Chattanooga, TN.

Median Home Price

Birmingham, AL: $891,300 · Chattanooga, TN: $259,200

Median home price in Birmingham, AL is $632,100 higher than in Chattanooga, TN.

Median Household Income

Birmingham, AL: $191,128 · Chattanooga, TN: $61,028

Birmingham, AL has a higher median household income than Chattanooga, TN by $130,100.

Birmingham, AL overview · Chattanooga, TN overview · Popular comparisons