City comparison
Durham, NC vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 10.8% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $110,800 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,254 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Durham, NC to Mobile, AL ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (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
| Durham, NC | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,290 in Mobile | $110,754 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,254/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,254/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Mobile, AL | Real change, Durham → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | +6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $60,970 | $67,527 (+31.4%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $122,540 | $135,718 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $72,130 | $79,887 (−6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $79,490 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.