City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 15.6% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $115,600 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $919 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Mobile, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Mobile, AL to Portland, ME ($106,437 → $120,548), while prices change by +15.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,619 in Portland | $86,491 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Portland, ME
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$919/yr.
34 Weak offer
Portland, ME → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$919/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Portland, ME | Real change, Mobile → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,905 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,579 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $101,375 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,548 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $142,452 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $76,770 | $66,399 (+8.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $128,710 | $111,323 (−9.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $79,790 | $69,011 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $88,470 | $76,519 (−3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.