Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
126

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Birmingham, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

New York, NY costs about 88% more than Birmingham, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$17.75 $17.75

60.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$69.7 $69.7

69.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$8.86 $8.86

69.75%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.67 $5.67

15.17%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.65 $2.65

49.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.28 $2.28

32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.12 $5.12

59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.92 $5.92

66.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.08 $1.08

26.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.09 $3.09

60.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.82 $4.82

62.03%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.24 $4.24

40.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.30 $9.30

103.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$11.16 $11.16

61.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.46 $16.46

15.74%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.42 $6.42

5.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.38 $1.38

64.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$7.88 $7.88

-13.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.57 $5.57

27.29%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.16 $4.16

1.44%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$5.39 $5.39

-13.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.86 $2.86

0.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.79 $2.79

-6.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.55 $8.55

119.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.06 $15.06

33.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.42 $2.42

42.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.51 $3.51

14.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.53 $1.53

90.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$78.9 $78.9

76.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.95 $2.95

4.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.55 $1.55

36.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$30.20 $30.20

38.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.92 $0.92

27.17%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

29.66%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.7K $25.7K

0.49%

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

$219 $219

$274 $274

-20.07%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$75.7 $75.7

-1.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$72.2 $72.2

-2.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$54.3 $54.3

106.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$20.24 $20.24

269.86%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$16.04 $16.04

38.03%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,324 $1,324

168.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$17.8K $17.8K

249.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$59.5 $59.5

27.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$38.91 $38.91

31.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$109 $109

12.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$136 $136

2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,582 $1,582

184.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,146 $1,146

168.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,560 $2,560

269.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,017 $2,017

157.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,665 $2,665

579.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,820 $1,820

267.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,246 $3,246

60.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.69

2.54%

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

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

Last update for Birmingham, AL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Birmingham, AL

$1.1K 43.6% 62.8% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Birmingham, AL

$428 16.3% 23.9% $135

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Birmingham, AL

$294 11.2% 33.3% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Birmingham, AL

$422 16.1% 16.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Birmingham, AL

$155 5.9% 11.8% $21

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Birmingham, AL

$96 3.6% 41.7% $69

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Birmingham, AL

$86 3.3% 44.7% $70

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Birmingham, AL

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

08:01 8:01 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

200,733

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

New York, NY
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

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,940 in Birmingham, AL. 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 $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,627 in Birmingham, AL. 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.