Alabama
Moderate tax burden · COL index 87
Wins 6 categories
Virginia
Moderate tax burden · COL index 102
Wins 8 categories
Cost of living in Virginia (index 102) runs 17% higher than Alabama (index 87). Property taxes are meaningfully different: Virginia averages 0.74% annually vs Alabama's 0.39%. The median home in Virginia costs $390K vs $218K in Alabama. Politically, Alabama voted Republican in 2024 (R+28.0) while Virginia went Democratic (D+3.0).
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
6
Alabama
8
Virginia
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Is it cheaper to live in Virginia or Alabama?
Cost of Living in Virginia vs Alabama On to Alabama, where we'll check out Birmingham as a comparison. The cost of living here is 5% lower than Virginia, while homes cost 9% less. Gas is almost 3% cheaper, and healthcare is 4% less. Coffee is also lower: almost 8% less than a cup in Virginia.
What is the downfall of living in Virginia?
Is moving to Alabama a good idea?
Is it cheaper to live in Alabama or West Virginia?
Alabama is 6.0% more expensive than West Virginia. The cost of childcare, groceries, and entertainment and sports in Alabama are more expensive than in West Virginia. Expenses including transportation, clothing, housing, and restaurants are lower in Alabama.