City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cleveland, OH are 6.6% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $106,600 in Cleveland, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,058 a month in Cleveland, OH versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Cleveland, OH and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,767 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Mobile, AL ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.1% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,798 in Mobile | $106,612 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,767/yr.
89 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Cleveland, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,767/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Mobile, AL | Real change, Cleveland → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | +2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | +2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | +2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | +2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | +2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $60,970 | $65,001 (−15.0%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $122,540 | $130,642 (+17.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $72,130 | $76,899 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $79,490 | $84,746 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.