City comparison
Miami, FL vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 29.6% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $129,600 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.1% moving from Miami, FL to Mobile, AL ($113,356 → $106,437), while prices change by −22.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +21.7% in real buying power.
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much 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
| Miami, FL | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 114.2 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $77,174 in Mobile | $129,577 in Miami |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,995/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,640 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Miami | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 155.6 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 103.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 97.2 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 109.1 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 114.2 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Miami, FL → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +29.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −22.8%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
30 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Miami, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Miami, FL to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Miami, FL | Mobile, AL | Real change, Miami → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $61,722 | +21.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $74,678 | +21.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $89,508 | +21.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $106,437 | +21.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $125,776 | +21.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Miami, FL | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Miami dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,300 | $60,970 | $79,003 (+35.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,650 | $122,540 | $158,784 (+19.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $72,130 | $93,464 (+15.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $91,380 | $79,490 | $103,001 (+12.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.