City comparison
Mobile, AL vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 27.8% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $127,800 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Mobile, AL to New York, NY ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +27.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $127,770 in New York | $78,266 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −21.7%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$125/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +27.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$125/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | New York, NY | Real change, Mobile → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | New York, NY | New York pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $96,900 | $75,839 (+24.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $166,830 | $130,570 (+6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $105,650 | $82,688 (+14.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $119,720 | $93,699 (+17.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.