City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 12.2% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $112,200 in Atlantic City, NJ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $555 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Mobile, AL ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (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
| Atlantic City, NJ | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,117 in Mobile | $112,213 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$555/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$555/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Mobile, AL | Real change, Atlantic City → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $60,970 | $68,416 (−15.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $122,540 | $137,505 (+8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $72,130 | $80,939 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $79,490 | $89,198 (−10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.