Cost of living in Auburn research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Auburn is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Alabama, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Auburn is 107, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Auburn is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Auburn ranks as the #105 cheapest in Alabama out of 119.
Auburn ranks as the #3,374 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Auburn is $405,813.
The median income in Auburn is $56,123.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Auburn has an overall cost of living index of 107, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Auburn has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Alabama's index of 90.
The standard of living in Auburn ranks as #105 most affordable out of the 119 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Auburn ranks as the #14 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Auburn, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Auburn. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Auburn is 96.
The Groceries index in Auburn is 97.
The Health index in Auburn is 93.
The Housing index in Auburn is 130.
The Transportation index in Auburn is 91.
The Utilities index in Auburn is 112.
| Living Expense | Auburn | Alabama | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 107 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 96 | 97 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 98 | 100 | |
| Health | 93 | 86 | 100 | |
| Housing | 130 | 74 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 91 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 112 | 102 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Alabama, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Auburn is $405,813.
The Median Rent in Auburn is $1,034.
The Median Income in Auburn is $56,123.
The Home Value To Income in Auburn is 7.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Auburn is 0.22x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Auburn. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Columbus, GA has a cost of living index of 93, 0.9x Auburn.
Montgomery, AL has a cost of living index of 89, 0.8x Auburn.
Opelika, AL has a cost of living index of 94, 0.9x Auburn.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Auburn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, GA | 204,383 | 93 | 0.9x |
| Montgomery, AL | 198,440 | 89 | 0.8x |
| Opelika, AL | 31,944 | 94 | 0.9x |
| LaGrange, GA | 31,479 | 91 | 0.9x |
| Tuskegee, AL | 9,070 | 85 | 0.8x |