City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 17.7% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $117,700 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,201 a month in Salem, OR versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Salem, OR and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,185 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Mobile, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.7% moving from Mobile, AL to Salem, OR ($106,437 → $114,684), while prices change by +17.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.4% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,652 in Salem | $84,996 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,185/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salem, OR → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,185/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Salem, OR | Real change, Mobile → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $66,505 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $80,465 | −8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $96,443 | −8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $114,684 | −8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $135,522 | −8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $74,810 | $63,586 (+4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $131,620 | $111,872 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $87,480 | $74,355 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $131,750 | $111,983 (+40.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.