City comparison
Albany, NY vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Albany, NY are 13.0% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $113,000 in Albany, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,417 a month in Albany, NY versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Albany, NY and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $4,735 in AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.1% moving from Albany, NY to Mobile, AL ($109,810 → $106,437), while prices change by −11.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.5% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,482 in Mobile | $113,017 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$125/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Albany, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$125/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Mobile, AL | Real change, Albany → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $61,722 | +9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $74,678 | +9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $89,508 | +9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $106,437 | +9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $125,776 | +9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $60,970 | $68,907 (−13.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $122,540 | $138,491 (+8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $72,130 | $81,519 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $79,490 | $89,837 (−10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.