Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birmingham, AL and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Birmingham, AL: $2,627 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Birmingham, AL
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Birmingham, AL Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,627

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Birmingham, AL and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,627 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Birmingham, AL $2,627
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $3,899 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Birmingham, AL $3,899
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $5,172 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Birmingham, AL $5,172
New York, NY $9,509

Birmingham, AL is about 47% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Birmingham, AL and New York, NY sit above the global median – Birmingham, AL by 93%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 $17.75

$28.55 $28.55

-37.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 $69.7

$118 $118

-41.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 $8.86

$15.04 $15.04

-41.09%

Cappuccino

$5.67 $5.67

$6.53 $6.53

-13.17%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$3.96 $3.96

-33.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.01 $3.01

-24.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 $5.12

$8.16 $8.16

-37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 $5.92

$9.84 $9.84

-39.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.37 $1.37

-21.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 $3.09

$4.97 $4.97

-37.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$7.81 $7.81

-38.28%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$5.97 $5.97

-28.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 $9.30

$18.91 $18.91

-50.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 $11.16

$18.04 $18.04

-38.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$19.05 $19.05

-13.60%

Apples (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$6.76 $6.76

-5.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.27 $2.27

-39.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.88 $7.88

$6.83 $6.83

15.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$7.09 $7.09

-21.44%

Potato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$4.22 $4.22

-1.42%

Onion (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.65 $4.65

15.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.87 $2.87

-0.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.60 $2.60

7.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.55 $8.55

$18.77 $18.77

-54.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$20.13 $20.13

-25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.45 $3.45

-29.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.02 $4.02

-12.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.91 $2.91

-47.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.9 $78.9

$139 $139

-43.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.08 $3.08

-4.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.12 $2.12

-26.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.20 $30.20

$41.96 $41.96

-28.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.17 $1.17

-21.37%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$34.5K $34.5K

-22.87%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.49%

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

$274 $274

$219 $219

25.10%

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

$75.7 $75.7

$74.2 $74.2

1.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$70.2 $70.2

2.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 $54.3

$112 $112

-51.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 $20.24

$74.9 $74.9

-72.96%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 $16.04

$22.14 $22.14

-27.55%

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

$1,324 $1,324

$3,558 $3,558

-62.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K $17.8K

$62.2K $62.2K

-71.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

$75.6 $75.6

-21.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.91 $38.91

$51.2 $51.2

-24.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$123 $123

-11.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$140 $140

-2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$4,499 $4,499

-64.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 $1,146

$3,078 $3,078

-62.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,560 $2,560

$9,447 $9,447

-72.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 $2,017

$5,190 $5,190

-61.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,665 $2,665

$18.1K $18.1K

-85.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,820 $1,820

$6,693 $6,693

-72.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,246 $3,246

$5,220 $5,220

-37.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.86

-2.48%

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

Last update for Birmingham, AL: October 26, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Birmingham, AL

$1.1K 43.6%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 169% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Birmingham, AL

$428 16.3%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 31.5% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Birmingham, AL

$422 16.1%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 13.8% $58

Eating Out

Birmingham, AL

$294 11.2%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 49.8% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Birmingham, AL

$155 5.9%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 13.4% $21

Getting Around

Birmingham, AL

$96 3.6%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 71.6% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Birmingham, AL

$86 3.3%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 80.8% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,582 in Birmingham, AL versus $4,499 in New York, NY. 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 61% higher in New York, NY, 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 $70 in Birmingham, AL versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $428 vs $563 – making Birmingham, AL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

06:43 6:43 AM

1 h ahead of Birmingham, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,733

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Birmingham, AL New York, NY 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Birmingham, AL
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,627 in Birmingham, AL, $4,941 in New York, NY – Birmingham, AL comes out roughly 47% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,940 per month in Birmingham, AL and $7,412 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Birmingham, AL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,582 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,627 in Birmingham, AL and $4,941 in New York, NY. That makes Birmingham, AL about 47% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Birmingham, AL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Birmingham, AL, where all-in costs run around $2,627, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Birmingham, AL it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,627 in Birmingham, AL to $4,941 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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