Birmingham vs Chicago - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Birmingham Chicago
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2137
$2799
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$5026
$6454
🏠 One person rent
$1237
$1702
🏘️ Family rent
$1974
$2727
🍽️ Food expenses
$535
$702
🚐 Transport expenses
$198
$204
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3365
$5210
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
11 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
95
100
😀 Quality of life
95
97
🏙️ Population
1.14M
2.75M

The cost of living in Birmingham is 24% less expensive than in Chicago. Cities ranked 1622nd and 394th ($2137 vs $2799) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 65th and 338th in the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively. Check the United Kingdom vs the United States comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months in Birmingham compared to 1.9 months in Chicago. Birmingham ranked 2nd best city to live in the United Kingdom vs Chicago ranked 2nd in the United States, while ranked 48th and 16th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Birmingham vs Chicago infographic

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Prices in Birmingham vs Chicago

Prices for goods and services in Birmingham and Chicago are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Birmingham Chicago
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$17.5
$19.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$65.2
$86.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.92
$12
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$6.83
$7.36
☕ Cappuccino
$4.58
$5.6
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.31
$2.99
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1226
$1993
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$939
$1414
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2079
$3215
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1511
$2313
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$200
$108
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$310
$168
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$39.8
$64.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.57%
6.77%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5209
$3645
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3967
$2499
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$3.44
$2.48
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$88.6
$74.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$19.9
$17
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.93
$1.01
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.77
$1.08
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.64
$4.01
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.23
$4.93
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.43
$5.3
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.8
$14.4
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.74
$14.3
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.3
$18.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.52
$5.04
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.94
$1.8
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.49
$4.11
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.15
$4.56
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.52
$2.37
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.79
$2.76
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.05
$1.79
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.27
$3.14
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.3
$16.7
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.51
$2.81
🚬 Cigarette pack
$19.5
$16.5
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.5
$12.8
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.77
$7
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.72
$3.84
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.97
$2.14
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$35.8
$68.2
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.8
$17.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$110
$135
💇 Haircut, simple
$15.1
$28.7
👖 Brand Jeans
$92.1
$61.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$110
$94.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1583
$2032
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$18334
$23423

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Birmingham

Distance City Cost of living
4.7 km or 2.9 mi Smethwick
$1933
6.8 km or 4.2 mi West Bromwich
$1892
11 km or 6.6 mi Halesowen
$1866
12 km or 7.2 mi Solihull
$1940
12 km or 7.6 mi Walsall
$1787
14 km or 8.7 mi Dudley
$1745
14 km or 8.7 mi Aldridge
$1830
15 km or 9.6 mi Willenhall
$1812
17 km or 10 mi Stourbridge
$1818
19 km or 12 mi Wolverhampton
$1775
19 km or 12 mi Bromsgrove
$1847
20 km or 12 mi Redditch
$1716
22 km or 14 mi Tamworth
$1840
25 km or 15 mi Cannock
$1835
26 km or 16 mi Kidderminster
$1853
27 km or 17 mi Coventry
$2051
30 km or 19 mi Nuneaton
$1608
31 km or 19 mi Warwick
$1951
32 km or 20 mi Leamington Spa
$2134
35 km or 22 mi Stratford-upon-Avon
$1890
37 km or 23 mi Hinckley
$1790
39 km or 24 mi Worcester
$1696
39 km or 24 mi Stafford
$1851
40 km or 25 mi Burton upon Trent
$1768
43 km or 27 mi Telford
$1612
45 km or 28 mi Rugby
$1709
55 km or 34 mi Leicester
$1899
57 km or 35 mi Derby
$1658
57 km or 35 mi Loughborough
$1849
60 km or 37 mi Banbury
$1795
61 km or 38 mi Stoke-on-Trent
$1633
63 km or 39 mi Shrewsbury
$1728
63 km or 39 mi Newcastle-under-Lyme
$1484
66 km or 41 mi Cheltenham
$1827
66 km or 41 mi Market Harborough
$1902
70 km or 44 mi Leek
$1783
72 km or 45 mi Gloucester
$1900
73 km or 45 mi Hereford
$1885
73 km or 46 mi Nottingham
$1831
73 km or 46 mi Northampton
$1901

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2384
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2360
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2396
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2386
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2367
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2202
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2287
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2393
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2385
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2399
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2366
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2400
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2426
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2288
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2398
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2406
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2405
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2549
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2393
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2413
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2395
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$2030
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2327
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2392
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2379
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2462
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$2008
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2388
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2399
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2468
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2363
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2495
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2268
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2392
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2368
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2261
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2392
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1989
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2376
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2426