City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Mobile, AL are 1.0% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $101,000 in Mobile, AL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $898 a month in Lafayette, LA and $919 in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,121 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Lafayette, LA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Lafayette, LA to Mobile, AL changes real buying power by −1.0%, purely from prices.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much 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
| Lafayette, LA | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,019 in Mobile | $98,991 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Mobile, AL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,121/yr.
66 Fair offer
Mobile, AL → Lafayette, LA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,121/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Mobile, AL | Real change, Lafayette → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $60,970 | $60,355 (+26.3%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $122,540 | $121,303 (+11.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $72,130 | $71,402 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $79,490 | $78,688 (−4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.