City comparison
Mobile, AL vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 27.0% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $127,000 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Mobile, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.2% moving from Mobile, AL to San Diego, CA ($106,437 → $121,585), while prices change by +27.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $127,003 in San Diego | $78,738 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $2,459/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% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −21.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +27.0%; 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; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | San Diego, CA | Real change, Mobile → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,507 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,307 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,246 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,585 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,677 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $97,000 | $76,376 (+25.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $163,270 | $128,556 (+4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $96,340 | $75,857 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $139,520 | $109,856 (+38.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.