Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hengelo and Birmingham, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Hengelo: $2,186 a month against $2,687 in Birmingham, AL, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Hengelo
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Hengelo Living Index
131

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

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Hengelo

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,186

/mo nomad

Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,687

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hengelo and in Birmingham, AL

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

A single person spends $2,186 per month in Hengelo vs $2,687 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Hengelo $2,186
Birmingham, AL $2,687

A couple spends around $3,524 per month in Hengelo vs $3,981 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Hengelo $3,524
Birmingham, AL $3,981

A family of three spends $4,862 per month in Hengelo vs $5,275 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Hengelo $4,862
Birmingham, AL $5,275

Hengelo is about 19% cheaper than Birmingham, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hengelo and Birmingham, AL sit above the global median – Hengelo by 61%, Birmingham, AL by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.67 €20.16

$17.57 $17.57

29.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 €74.1

$70.5 $70.5

18.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 €11.79

$8.85 $8.85

49.83%

Cappuccino

$4.01 €3.57

$5.59 $5.59

-28.26%

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

$3.81 €3.39

$2.67 $2.67

42.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.55

$2.35 $2.35

21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.27 €5.58

$4.92 $4.92

27.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 €5.78

$5.89 $5.89

10.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.03 $1.03

30.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 €2.18

$3.08 $3.08

-20.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$4.59 $4.59

-42.48%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.86

$4.27 $4.27

1.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 €12.50

$9.71 $9.71

44.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 €12.29

$10.88 $10.88

26.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 €12.96

$16.01 $16.01

-8.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$6.39 $6.39

-55.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$1.37 $1.37

62.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$8.03 $8.03

-73.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 €3.26

$5.55 $5.55

-34.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$4.11 $4.11

-54.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$5.20 $5.20

-63.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.07

$2.85 $2.85

-57.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.63

$2.83 $2.83

-75.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.87 €12.34

$8.65 $8.65

60.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.86

$14.71 $14.71

-55.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.36 $2.36

-42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.39

$3.65 $3.65

-26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 €4.55

$1.47 $1.47

248.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.1 €80.2

$78.8 $78.8

14.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 €3.22

$2.97 $2.97

21.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 €2.29

$1.62 $1.62

59.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.23 €39.34

$29.96 $29.96

47.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.25

$0.92 $0.92

175.00%

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

$41.1K €36.6K

$26.9K $26.9K

53.00%

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

$38.6K €34.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

48.68%

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

$268 €238

$284 $284

-5.62%

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

$21.74 €19.34

$78.2 $78.2

-72.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.06 €42.75

$70.2 $70.2

-31.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.68 €26.40

$39.26 $39.26

-24.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.66 €21.04

$20.10 $20.10

17.71%

Cinema Ticket

$15.93 €14.17

$15.79 $15.79

0.89%

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

$1,222 €1,087

$1,365 $1,365

-10.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,960 €7,081

$17.8K $17.8K

-55.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 €83.7

$57.8 $57.8

62.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.61 €39.68

$39.09 $39.09

14.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €82.7

$110 $110

-15.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$138 $138

-9.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,156

$1,716 $1,716

-24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 €743

$1,217 $1,217

-31.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,399 €2,134

$2,975 $2,975

-19.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 €1,660

$2,147 $2,147

-13.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,317 €4,729

$3,030 $3,030

75.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,422 €3,934

$1,891 $1,891

133.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,639 €2,348

$3,274 $3,274

-19.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

6.69

-37.22%

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

Last update for Hengelo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Birmingham, AL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hengelo

$836 38.3%

Birmingham, AL

$1.2K 45.3% 45.6% $382

Eating Out

Hengelo

$340 15.6%

Birmingham, AL

$291 10.8% 14.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hengelo

$338 15.5%

Birmingham, AL

$432 16.1% 28% $95

Groceries & Markets

Hengelo

$323 14.8%

Birmingham, AL

$425 15.8% 31.5% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Hengelo

$160 7.3%

Birmingham, AL

$155 5.8% 3.3% $5.3

Getting Around

Hengelo

$127 5.8%

Birmingham, AL

$96 3.6% 24.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Hengelo

$62 2.8%

Birmingham, AL

$71 2.6% 15.1% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,300 in Hengelo versus $1,716 in Birmingham, AL. 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 24% 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 $83.0 in Hengelo versus $71.0 in Birmingham, AL. Groceries tell a different story – $323 in Hengelo vs $425 in Birmingham, AL – so Hengelo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Hengelo

🇺🇸 Birmingham, AL

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

17:38 5:38 PM

7 h behind Hengelo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

81,140

200,733

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Hengelo Birmingham, AL 7,350 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Hengelo
Birmingham, AL

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,186 in Hengelo, $2,687 in Birmingham, AL – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,279 per month in Hengelo and $4,030 in Birmingham, AL. 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 $2,186 in Hengelo and $2,687 in Birmingham, AL. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Hengelo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hengelo, where all-in costs run around $2,186, than in Birmingham, AL at $2,687. In Hengelo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Birmingham, AL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hengelo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,186 in Hengelo to $2,687 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.