City comparison
Mobile, AL vs New Orleans, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Orleans, LA are 5.1% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $105,100 in New Orleans, LA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in New Orleans, LA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,121 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in New Orleans, 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 Mobile, AL to New Orleans, LA changes real buying power by −4.9%, purely from prices.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | New Orleans, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,107 in New Orleans | $95,141 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $47,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → New Orleans, LA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,121/yr.
54 Fair offer
New Orleans, LA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,121/yr.
85 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 New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | New Orleans, LA | Real change, Mobile → New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $60,350 | $57,418 (−5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $106,950 | $101,754 (−17.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $77,940 | $74,153 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $81,850 | $77,873 (−2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.