Cost of living in Opelika 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 Opelika 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 Opelika is 94, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Opelika is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Opelika ranks as the #71 cheapest in Alabama out of 119.
Opelika ranks as the #1,806 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Opelika is $299,049.
The median income in Opelika is $58,763.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Opelika has an overall cost of living index of 94, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Opelika has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Alabama's index of 90.
The standard of living in Opelika ranks as #71 most affordable out of the 119 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Opelika ranks as the #48 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Opelika, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Opelika. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Opelika is 98.
The Groceries index in Opelika is 98.
The Health index in Opelika is 91.
The Housing index in Opelika is 82.
The Transportation index in Opelika is 92.
The Utilities index in Opelika is 110.
| Living Expense | Opelika | Alabama | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 94 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 98 | 97 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 98 | 100 | |
| Health | 91 | 86 | 100 | |
| Housing | 82 | 74 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 92 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 110 | 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 Opelika is $299,049.
The Median Rent in Opelika is $947.
The Median Income in Opelika is $58,763.
The Home Value To Income in Opelika is 5.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Opelika is 0.19x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Opelika. 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, 1.0x Opelika.
Auburn, AL has a cost of living index of 107, 1.1x Opelika.
LaGrange, GA has a cost of living index of 91, 1.0x Opelika.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Opelika |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, GA | 204,383 | 93 | 1.0x |
| Auburn, AL | 78,738 | 107 | 1.1x |
| LaGrange, GA | 31,479 | 91 | 1.0x |
| Valley, AL | 10,406 | 87 | 0.9x |
| Lanett, AL | 6,854 | 85 | 0.9x |
| Smiths Station, AL | 5,443 | 94 | 1.0x |