City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Mobile, AL are 2.6% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $102,600 in Mobile, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $919 a month in Mobile, AL versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Mobile, AL and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in McAllen, TX.
- 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 McAllen, TX to Mobile, AL changes real buying power by −2.5%, purely from prices.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (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
| McAllen, TX | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,565 in Mobile | $97,499 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Mobile, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
61 Fair offer
Mobile, AL → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
77 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 McAllen, TX to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Mobile, AL | Real change, McAllen → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $60,970 | $59,445 (−5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $122,540 | $119,476 (+2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $72,130 | $70,326 (+9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $79,490 | $77,502 (−3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.