Cost of Living: Memphis, TN vs Birmingham, AL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,516/mo in Memphis, TN versus $4,224/mo in Birmingham, AL. In the model, rent is about 16.37% of gross in Memphis, TN versus 21.03% in Birmingham, AL, so Memphis, TN tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Memphis, TN
$4,516/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Birmingham, AL
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Memphis, TN
16.37%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Birmingham, AL
21.03%
COLI tier: lower-cost

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Memphis, TN: 82.5 (U.S. = 100) · Birmingham, AL: 84.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Memphis, TN: $1,067/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Birmingham, AL: $1,372/mo

Median rent in Birmingham, AL is $305/mo higher than in Memphis, TN.

Median Home Price

Memphis, TN: $157,100 · Birmingham, AL: $891,300

Median home price in Birmingham, AL is $734,200 higher than in Memphis, TN.

Median Household Income

Memphis, TN: $51,211 · Birmingham, AL: $191,128

Birmingham, AL has a higher median household income than Memphis, TN by $139,917.

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