City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 26.0% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $126,000 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,335 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Mobile, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Mobile, AL to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +26.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.1% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $125,952 in Urban Honolulu | $79,395 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,335/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +26.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Mobile → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −17.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −17.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −17.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −17.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −17.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $73,080 | $58,022 (−4.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $120,230 | $95,457 (−22.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $74,990 | $59,539 (−17.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $139,260 | $110,566 (+39.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.