City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Virginia Beach, VA are 11.2% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $111,200 in Virginia Beach, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Mobile, AL to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +11.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.7% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,173 in Virginia Beach | $89,950 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$201/yr.
38 Weak offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$201/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Mobile → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | −8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | −8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | −8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | −8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | −8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $63,380 | $57,010 (−6.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $129,090 | $116,117 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $79,450 | $71,465 (−0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $89,450 | $80,460 (+1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.