Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Birmingham, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Birmingham, AL: $2,627 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
126

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,627 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Birmingham, AL $2,627

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,899 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Birmingham, AL $3,899

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,172 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Birmingham, AL $5,172

Seattle, WA costs about 44% more than Birmingham, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Birmingham, AL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Birmingham, AL by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.75 $17.75

42.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$69.7 $69.7

44.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$8.86 $8.86

66.59%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.67 $5.67

14.64%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.65 $2.65

21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.28 $2.28

37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.12 $5.12

55.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.92 $5.92

37.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.08 $1.08

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.09 $3.09

71.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.82 $4.82

32.78%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.24 $4.24

19.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.30 $9.30

101.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.16 $11.16

67.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.46 $16.46

39.00%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.42 $6.42

-5.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.38 $1.38

41.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$7.88 $7.88

-30.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.57 $5.57

17.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.16 $4.16

-16.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$5.39 $5.39

-38.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.86 $2.86

-2.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.79 $2.79

-7.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.55 $8.55

46.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.06 $15.06

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.42 $2.42

73.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.51 $3.51

65.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.53 $1.53

99.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$78.9 $78.9

34.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.95 $2.95

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.55 $1.55

5.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.20 $30.20

-0.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.92 $0.92

53.26%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

38.39%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.36%

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

$308 $308

$274 $274

12.07%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$75.7 $75.7

-8.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$72.2 $72.2

19.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$54.3 $54.3

40.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$20.24 $20.24

75.40%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$16.04 $16.04

12.34%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,324 $1,324

107.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$17.8K $17.8K

72.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$59.5 $59.5

33.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$38.91 $38.91

39.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$109 $109

15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$136 $136

17.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,582 $1,582

58.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,146 $1,146

69.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,560 $2,560

99.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,017 $2,017

75.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,665 $2,665

176.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,820 $1,820

174.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,246 $3,246

99.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.69

2.99%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: 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

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Birmingham, AL

$1.1K 43.6% 40.9% $793

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Birmingham, AL

$428 16.3% 21.7% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Birmingham, AL

$422 16.1% 8.7% $40

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Birmingham, AL

$294 11.2% 27.7% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Birmingham, AL

$155 5.9% 18% $34

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Birmingham, AL

$96 3.6% 25.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Birmingham, AL

$86 3.3% 23.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA 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 99% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $70 in Birmingham, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $428 – making Birmingham, AL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Birmingham, AL

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

08:36 8:36 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

200,733

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Birmingham, AL 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $2,627 in Birmingham, AL – Birmingham, AL comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA 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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,627 in Birmingham, AL. That makes Birmingham, AL about 31% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 26% 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 Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Birmingham, AL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,627 in Birmingham, AL to $3,785 in Seattle, WA. 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, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.