Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birmingham, AL and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Birmingham, AL and in Austin, TX: $2,721 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

131

Cost of Living Index in Birmingham, AL
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Birmingham, AL Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,721

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Birmingham, AL and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Birmingham, AL and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,721 in Birmingham, AL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Birmingham, AL $2,721
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,995 in Birmingham, AL versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Birmingham, AL $3,995
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,269 in Birmingham, AL versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Birmingham, AL $5,269
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Birmingham, AL is roughly 2% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Birmingham, AL 102% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 $17.75

$20.77 $20.77

-14.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 $69.3

$84.6 $84.6

-18.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$12.32 $12.32

-25.57%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$5.63 $5.63

3.73%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.72 $3.72

-27.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.50 $2.50

-8.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 $5.02

$8.05 $8.05

-37.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$9.01 $9.01

-33.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.12 $1.12

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 $3.12

$3.75 $3.75

-16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.26 $3.26

40.49%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$4.17 $4.17

0.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$12.90 $12.90

-25.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.23 $11.23

$14.16 $14.16

-20.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.06 $16.06

$16.22 $16.22

-0.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 $6.62

$4.33 $4.33

52.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.46 $1.46

-5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.51 $4.51

76.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$4.34 $4.34

28.34%

Potato (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.58 $2.58

64.73%

Onion (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.35 $2.35

127.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.78 $1.78

57.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.22 $2.22

27.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.00 $10.00

$9.88 $9.88

1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$15.08 $15.08

-2.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.92 $2.92

-19.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.46 $3.46

7.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.4 $80.4

$41.72 $41.72

92.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.73 $2.73

9.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.66 $1.66

-6.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.46 $29.46

$35.30 $35.30

-16.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.95 $0.95

-1.05%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.8K $34.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-3.52%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.9K $24.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

-8.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$290 $290

$229 $229

26.70%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$76.1 $76.1

$59.4 $59.4

28.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$69.9 $69.9

1.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.30 $40.30

$57.2 $57.2

-29.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.07 $20.07

$16.33 $16.33

22.90%

Cinema Ticket

$16.24 $16.24

$14.28 $14.28

13.73%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,354 $1,354

$1,506 $1,506

-10.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K $17.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

-16.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 $57.4

$52.8 $52.8

8.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.36 $38.36

$43.82 $43.82

-12.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$84.8 $84.8

30.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$103 $103

30.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$1,907 $1,907

-10.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 $1,236

$1,274 $1,274

-3.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,024 $3,024

$3,664 $3,664

-17.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,122 $2,122

$2,538 $2,538

-16.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,937 $2,937

$7,614 $7,614

-61.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,851 $1,851

$3,157 $3,157

-41.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,120 $3,120

$5,121 $5,121

-39.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.79

-1.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Birmingham, AL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Birmingham, AL

$1.2K 45.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 3.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Birmingham, AL

$437 16.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 18% $79

Groceries & Markets

Birmingham, AL

$428 15.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 5.5% $24

Eating Out

Birmingham, AL

$297 10.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 19.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Birmingham, AL

$154 5.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 16.7% $26

Getting Around

Birmingham, AL

$97 3.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 39.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Birmingham, AL

$73 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 17.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Birmingham, AL and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Birmingham, AL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $428 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

Same time as Birmingham, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,733

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Birmingham, AL Austin, TX 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Birmingham, AL
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Birmingham, AL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Birmingham, AL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,703 in Birmingham, AL versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,721 per month in Birmingham, AL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 93% less than in Birmingham, AL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Birmingham, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.