City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 21.1% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $121,100 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Mobile, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Mobile, AL to Sacramento, CA ($106,437 → $117,984), while prices change by +21.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.5% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,081 in Sacramento | $82,589 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.4%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Mobile → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,419 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,780 | −8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,218 | −8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,984 | −8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $139,422 | −8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $103,390 | $85,389 (+40.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $139,640 | $115,328 (−5.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $92,110 | $76,073 (+5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $171,460 | $141,608 (+78.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.