City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 14.5% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $114,500 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,201 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Mobile, AL to Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −12.7%, purely from prices.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,495 in Salt Lake City | $87,340 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,201/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,201/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Mobile → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −12.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −12.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −12.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −12.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −12.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $77,920 | $68,055 (+11.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $129,600 | $113,192 (−7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $82,100 | $71,706 (−0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $85,890 | $75,016 (−5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.