Cost of Living: Birmingham, AL vs Phoenix, AZ

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 $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 21.03% of gross in Birmingham, AL versus 21.24% in Phoenix, AZ, so Birmingham, AL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Birmingham, AL
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Phoenix, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Birmingham, AL
21.03%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Phoenix, AZ
21.24%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Birmingham, AL: 84.6 (U.S. = 100) · Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Birmingham, AL: $1,372/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo

Median rent in Phoenix, AZ is $13/mo higher than in Birmingham, AL.

Median Home Price

Birmingham, AL: $891,300 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900

Median home price in Birmingham, AL is $509,400 higher than in Phoenix, AZ.

Median Household Income

Birmingham, AL: $191,128 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041

Birmingham, AL has a higher median household income than Phoenix, AZ by $114,087.

Birmingham, AL overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons