City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Montgomery, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Montgomery, AL are 1.8% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $101,800 in Montgomery, AL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $919 a month in Mobile, AL versus $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Mobile, AL and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- Both are in AL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,735 a year on $100,000.
- 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 Mobile, AL to Montgomery, AL changes real buying power by −1.8%, purely from prices.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Montgomery, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 89.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,798 in Montgomery | $98,234 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $870/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $44,950 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Montgomery, AL MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Montgomery, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 64.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 84.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 89.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Montgomery, AL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
63 Fair offer
Montgomery, AL → Mobile, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
74 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 Mobile, AL to Montgomery, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Montgomery, AL | Real change, Mobile → Montgomery |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Montgomery, AL | Montgomery pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $59,610 | $58,557 (−4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $110,620 | $108,666 (−11.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $75,040 | $73,715 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $79,570 | $78,165 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.