SalaryCompareTool

San Diego, CA vs Birmingham, AL

Moving from San Diego to Birmingham? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($946,365 → $262,556 median home) and taxes.

San Diego vs Birmingham at a glance

Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.

San Diego, CA Birmingham, AL Cost-of-living index San Diego, CA — Cost-of-living index: 111 111 Birmingham, AL — Cost-of-living index: 92 92 Median home price San Diego, CA — Median home price: $946k $946k Birmingham, AL — Median home price: $263k $263k Price per sqft San Diego, CA — Price per sqft: $631 $631 Birmingham, AL — Price per sqft: $128 $128 Median rent San Diego, CA — Median rent: $2,951 $2,951 Birmingham, AL — Median rent: $1,448 $1,448 Combined sales tax San Diego, CA — Combined sales tax: 8.8% 8.8% Birmingham, AL — Combined sales tax: 9.3% 9.3% Property tax rate San Diego, CA — Property tax rate: 0.72% 0.72% Birmingham, AL — Property tax rate: 0.50% 0.50% Violent crime /100k San Diego, CA — Violent crime /100k: 500 500 Birmingham, AL — Violent crime /100k: 450 450 Electricity ¢/kWh San Diego, CA — Electricity ¢/kWh: 35.3 35.3 Birmingham, AL — Electricity ¢/kWh: 17.4 17.4 Avg commute (min) San Diego, CA — Avg commute (min): 26 26 Birmingham, AL — Avg commute (min): 27 27 Avg summer high °F San Diego, CA — Avg summer high °F: 84° 84° Birmingham, AL — Avg summer high °F: 91° 91° Avg winter low °F San Diego, CA — Avg winter low °F: 45° 45° Birmingham, AL — Avg winter low °F: 33° 33°

To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in San Diego, CA, you'd need about $82,865 in Birmingham, AL (−$17,135).

Livability — San Diego, CA: 44 · Birmingham, AL: 71 (0–100).

What your home budget buys

A $500,000 home budget gets you about 793 sqft in San Diego vs 3,903 sqft in Birmingham ($631 vs $128 per sqft).

Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)

CategorySan Diego, CABirmingham, ALDifference
Housing $35,412 $17,376 −$18,036
Groceries $5,112 $4,729 −$383
Transportation $5,125 $3,465 −$1,660
Utilities $3,804 $1,884 −$1,920
Insurance $1,500 $2,400 +$900
Taxes $21,601 $9,314 −$12,287
Total $72,554 $39,168 −$33,387

Side by side

MetricSan Diego, CABirmingham, AL
Cost-of-living index110.791.8
Unemployment rate6.34%4.90%
Population growth (5-yr)0.2%-2.6%
Air quality (median AQI)7157
Big Mac price (est.)$6.30$5.22
Median home price$946,365$262,556
Home price ÷ income9.8×3.8×
1-yr home appreciation-1.1%2.0%
Price per square foot$631$128
Median rent$2,951$1,448
Total tax burden (% income)13.5%9.8%
Combined sales tax8.82%9.25%
Capital gains tax13.30%5.00%
Property tax rate0.72%0.50%
Healthcare (annual)$7,200$6,200
Childcare (annual, infant)$19,000$7,000
Vehicle property tax0.65%0.70%
Avg commute (min)2627
Home insurance / yr$1,500$2,400
Auto insurance / yr$2,400$1,900
Flood insurance / yr$750$800
Earthquake insurance / yr$950$100
Electricity ¢/kWh35.317.4
Gas $/gal4.852.95
Violent crime /100k500450
Avg summer high °F8491
Avg winter low °F4533
Permit difficulty (1–5)52
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