City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 17.3% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $117,300 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,444 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Mobile, AL to Phoenix, AZ ($106,437 → $111,338), while prices change by +17.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,274 in Phoenix | $85,270 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,444/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,444/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Mobile → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,564 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,117 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,629 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,338 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,568 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $59,180 | $50,463 (−17.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $131,750 | $112,344 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $80,820 | $68,916 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $100,830 | $85,978 (+8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.