City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 7.5% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $107,500 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,077 a month in Pittsburgh, PA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Pittsburgh, PA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Mobile, AL to Pittsburgh, PA ($106,437 → $110,047), while prices change by +7.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,461 in Pittsburgh | $93,057 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
47 Fair offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Mobile → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,815 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,211 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $92,543 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,047 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,042 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $76,550 | $71,235 (+16.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $124,500 | $115,856 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $76,940 | $71,598 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $82,370 | $76,651 (−3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.