City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 17.7% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $117,700 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Mobile, AL to Olympia, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +17.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,676 in Olympia | $84,979 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Olympia, WA | Real change, Mobile → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $104,650 | $88,931 (+45.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $124,060 | $105,425 (−14.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $94,470 | $80,280 (+11.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $125,020 | $106,241 (+33.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.