City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 17.6% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $117,600 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,805 a year in IL and $4,735 in AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Mobile, AL ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −15.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Chicago, IL | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,041 in Mobile | $117,591 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$70/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$70/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Mobile, AL | Real change, Chicago → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $60,970 | $71,695 (−8.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $122,540 | $144,096 (+7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $72,130 | $84,818 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $79,490 | $93,473 (−7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.