Birmingham, AL

Cost of Living in Birmingham, AL (2026): Rent, Utilities & Take-Home

$2,978/mo in Birmingham. $2,365 left each month. Prices 9% below the US average.

Compare vs Chicago Rank metros from BirminghamHow we figure this

Monthly costs

Take-home $5,343/mo.

Taxes$1,849
Rent$1,106
Other living costs$1,872
Left over$2,365

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $86,305
Federal income tax: −$10,601
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,602
State income tax (AL): −$4,125
City / county wage tax: −$863
Take-home pay: $64,113
Effective tax rate: 25.7%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,106
Groceries: $364
Getting around: $553
Healthcare: $410
Utilities and internet: $228
Everything else: $319
Total spending: $2,978

Left over each month

$7,192 gross, minus $1,849 in tax and $2,978 in living costs.

$2,365

Average electric bill in Alabama

About $145 a month for a household using 900 kWh. That is the EIA residential price for Alabama in 2025, 16.09¢ per kWh. It is a state average, not a Birmingham utility bill, and the utilities line in the monthly costs above already includes a modelled power cost.

Cost of Living in Birmingham, AL (2026): Rent, Utilities & Take-Home

Monthly costs

Pay and tax, per year

Living costs, per month

Average electric bill in Alabama

Take-home by job in Birmingham

Other Alabama metros

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