City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Albuquerque, NM are 8.5% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $108,500 in Albuquerque, NM to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,185 a month in Albuquerque, NM versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Albuquerque, NM and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,166 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Albuquerque, NM.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Mobile, AL ($107,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.3% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- 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
| Albuquerque, NM | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,205 in Mobile | $108,454 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,166/yr.
95 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,166/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Mobile, AL | Real change, Albuquerque → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $61,722 | +7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $74,678 | +7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $89,508 | +7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $106,437 | +7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $125,776 | +7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $60,970 | $66,125 (−12.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $122,540 | $132,900 (+7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $72,130 | $78,228 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $79,490 | $86,210 (−10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.