City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 23.5% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $123,500 in Santa Maria, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,746 a month in Santa Maria, CA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Mobile, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Mobile, AL to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +23.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $123,497 in Santa Maria | $80,974 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $2,746/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% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.0%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +23.5%; 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; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Mobile → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $101,030 | $81,808 (+34.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $158,290 | $128,174 (+4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $91,610 | $74,180 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $137,360 | $111,226 (+39.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.