

Huntsville vs Birmingham
$463/mo less in Birmingham
HuntsvilleBirminghamAbout 91 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Birmingham costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,346/mo in Birmingham. $2,809/mo in Huntsville. −$5,556 a year.
Huntsville
$2,809
left each month
Birmingham
$2,346
−$463 vs Huntsville
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 584 households moved Huntsville → Birmingham (avg AGI $56,890). 792 went the other way. The whole move →
−$463 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Huntsville | Birmingham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,708 | $7,163 | −$545 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,956 | $1,839 | −$117 |
| Take-home pay | $5,752 | $5,324 | −$428 |
| Rent | $1,050 | $1,106 | +$56 |
| Getting around | $559 | $553 | −$6 |
| Groceries | $368 | $364 | −$4 |
| Healthcare | $414 | $410 | −$4 |
| Utilities | $230 | $228 | −$2 |
| Everything else | $322 | $319 | −$3 |
| Left over | $2,809 | $2,346 | −$463 |
Salary to match Huntsville
$94,500
Gross pay in Birmingham that leaves the same amount as $92,500 in Huntsville.
Tax difference
−$533
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.4% in Huntsville, 25.7% in Birmingham.
More about Birmingham
Huntsville, AL in full
Aerospace and defense engineering salaries against Alabama's cost of living.
Birmingham, AL in full
The lowest property tax rate in the country, on cheap houses.
The other way
Start in Birmingham.
Birmingham → Huntsville →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Birmingham than Huntsville?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Birmingham leaves about $463 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,050 in Huntsville and $1,106 in Birmingham.
Does Birmingham have state income tax?
Birmingham is in Alabama, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 1.00%.
What changes if you move from Huntsville to Birmingham?
The paycheck is taxed in Alabama. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Huntsville and Birmingham changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.