City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 11.1% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $111,100 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.5% moving from Mobile, AL to Richmond, VA ($106,437 → $111,183), while prices change by +11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,079 in Richmond | $90,026 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$201/yr.
38 Weak offer
Richmond, VA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$201/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Richmond, VA | Real change, Mobile → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,475 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,009 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,499 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,183 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,385 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $61,290 | $55,177 (−9.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $132,120 | $118,943 (−2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $84,220 | $75,820 (+5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $93,580 | $84,247 (+6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.