Cost of Living: Birmingham, AL vs Chicago, IL
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 $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 21.03% of gross in Birmingham, AL versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Birmingham, AL and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Birmingham, AL
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Chicago, IL
- Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
- Higher median household income: Birmingham, AL
Cost of Living Index
Birmingham, AL: 84.6 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Birmingham, AL has a lower cost-of-living index than Chicago, IL, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Birmingham, AL: $1,372/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Birmingham, AL is $49/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Home Price
Birmingham, AL: $891,300 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Birmingham, AL is $743,500 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
Birmingham, AL: $191,128 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Birmingham, AL has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $134,313.
Birmingham, AL overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons