City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 24.6% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $124,600 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.4% moving from Birmingham, AL to Miami, FL ($107,510 → $113,356), while prices change by +24.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.4% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,564 in Miami | $80,280 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.7%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
30 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Miami, FL | Real change, Birmingham → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $65,735 | −15.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $79,533 | −15.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $95,326 | −15.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $113,356 | −15.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $133,953 | −15.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $58,300 | $46,803 (−25.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $132,650 | $106,492 (−15.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $80,920 | $64,963 (−17.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $91,380 | $73,360 (−6.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.