2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
San Mateo, CA vs Birmingham, AL

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Birmingham or is it cheaper to live in San Mateo?
- Birmingham is 65.2% less expensive than San Mateo.

Which city has more affordable housing, Birmingham or San Mateo?
- Birmingham housing costs are 95.0% less expensive than San Mateo housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in San Mateo or is Health Care more affordable in Birmingham.
- Health related expenses are 3.9% more in Birmingham.
 San Mateo, CABirmingham, ALUnited States
 Overall  Unlock87.0100
 Food & Groceries116.7  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock122.0100
 Housing537.6  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$101,300$338,100
 Utilities92  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock88.4100
 Miscellaneous161.7  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for San Mateo    12 Reviews

I have lived in San Mateo since 2013. It has seen tremendous growth, lots of new restaurants which have become progressively more high-end though there is ample  More

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I'm a native of California. I have lived in the southern part of the state and the northern part of the state for most of my life. I have spent the last 29 years in  More

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Over 15 years ago

San Mateo has a diverse mix of people, a pleasant climate, a very pleasant downtown park with lots going on, and pretty much whatever you need handy. It's not far to  More

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Reviews for Birmingham    25 Reviews

Birmingham is better than ever, meaning it is beginning to gain half of the stuff a normal city of its size has. The food scene is definitely an exception and is above  More

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Lived in the Birmingham for years. The small city was divided by the historical train tracks into the north half and the south one. The north section was the  More

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Over 5 years ago

I moved to Birmingham 6.5 years ago for a new job. The city is very boring in my opinion, there isn't much to do over the weekend except shopping or eating out. Summer  More

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