City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 26.1% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $126,100 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Mobile, AL to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +26.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.9% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $126,147 in Seattle | $79,273 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +26.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Seattle, WA | Real change, Mobile → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $102,920 | $81,587 (+33.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $167,280 | $132,607 (+8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $99,370 | $78,773 (+9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $128,260 | $101,675 (+27.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.