City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spartanburg, SC are 3.4% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $103,400 in Spartanburg, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,083 a month in Spartanburg, SC versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Spartanburg, SC and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,843 in SC.
- 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 Spartanburg, SC changes real buying power by −3.2%, purely from prices.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,352 in Spartanburg | $96,757 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$108/yr.
59 Fair offer
Spartanburg, SC → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$108/yr.
79 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 Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Mobile → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $60,990 | $59,012 (−3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $114,460 | $110,748 (−9.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $77,080 | $74,580 (+3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $82,360 | $79,689 (+0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.