Cost of Living Comparison Between Birmingham, AL and Hengelo Cost of Living Comparison Between Birmingham, AL and Hengelo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,408 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $2,275 in Hengelo, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,805 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $3,458 in Hengelo, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,202 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $4,641 in Hengelo, rent included.

Birmingham, AL costs about 6% more than Hengelo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Birmingham, AL and Hengelo sit above the global median – Birmingham, AL by 80%, Hengelo by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.30 $18.30

$20.58 €17.73

-11.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$86.6 €74.6

-31.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$13.85 €11.93

-26.79%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$3.98 €3.43

37.94%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$4.08 €3.52

-47.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.76 €2.37

-15.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 $6.05

$6.91 €5.95

-12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 $7.55

$5.88 €5.06

28.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.26 €1.08

-8.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.23 €1.92

62.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.01 €2.60

32.89%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$4.55 €3.91

-6.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$14.18 €12.21

-20.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$15.20 €13.09

-24.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$17.09 €14.72

-17.67%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 $6.38

$2.44 €2.10

161.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.54 €2.18

-20.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.36 $7.36

$2.02 €1.74

264.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.88 €3.35

36.60%

Potato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$1.95 €1.68

115.90%

Onion (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$1.94 €1.67

160.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.23 €1.06

117.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.73 €0.63

273.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 $7.01

$14.03 €12.08

-50.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$7.29 €6.28

107.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.43 €1.23

57.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.64 €2.27

36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$5.29 €4.55

-70.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 $54.2

$94.0 €80.9

-42.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.59 €3.09

14.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.41 €2.07

-33.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.55 $30.55

$27.15 €23.37

12.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.33 €2.01

-65.24%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$33.8K €29.1K

-9.72%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$35.6K €30.7K

-25.84%

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

$213 $213

$286 €246

-25.57%

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

$49.23 $49.23

$26.69 €22.98

84.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 $54.5

$47.43 €40.84

14.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.84 $47.84

$30.79 €26.51

55.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.29 $20.29

$23.49 €20.22

-13.62%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 $13.74

$16.11 €13.87

-14.71%

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

$1,255 $1,255

$1,096 €943

14.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K $18.2K

$11.2K €9,607

63.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 $63.0

$113 €97.1

-44.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.55 $27.55

$45.95 €39.57

-40.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$100 €86.3

3.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 $95.6

$130 €112

-26.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 $1,550

$1,366 €1,176

13.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 $1,111

$849 €731

30.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 $2,571

$1,888 €1,626

36.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,307 $2,307

$1,515 €1,305

52.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,034 $3,034

$5,767 €4,966

-47.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,863 $1,863

$4,723 €4,067

-60.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,179 $3,179

$2,776 €2,391

14.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

4.39

47.84%

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

Last update for Birmingham, AL: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hengelo: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,550 in Birmingham, AL versus $1,366 in Hengelo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Birmingham, AL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Birmingham, AL versus $87.0 in Hengelo. Groceries tell a different story – $429 in Birmingham, AL vs $340 in Hengelo – so Hengelo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Hengelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,408 in Birmingham, AL, $2,275 in Hengelo – roughly 6% apart. Birmingham, AL costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,612 per month in Birmingham, AL and $3,413 in Hengelo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hengelo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,408 in Birmingham, AL and $2,275 in Hengelo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 73% less in Hengelo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,408 in Birmingham, AL and $2,275 in Hengelo. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Hengelo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,275 in Hengelo to $2,408 in Birmingham, AL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hengelo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Birmingham, AL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.