City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 13.9% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $113,900 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, 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 Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Mobile, AL to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +13.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.7% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,903 in Spokane | $87,794 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,193/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.9%; 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; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Spokane, WA | Real change, Mobile → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −11.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −11.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −11.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −11.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −11.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $98,800 | $86,741 (+42.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $130,690 | $114,738 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $86,350 | $75,810 (+5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $111,750 | $98,110 (+23.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.