City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 9.4% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $109,400 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Nashville, TN.
- 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 Nashville, TN changes real buying power by −8.6%, purely from prices.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,353 in Nashville | $91,447 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
42 Weak offer
Nashville, TN → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
98 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 Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Nashville, TN | Real change, Mobile → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $61,460 | $56,203 (−7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $126,610 | $115,781 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $78,080 | $71,402 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $84,040 | $76,852 (−3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.