City comparison
Austin, TX vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 11.3% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $111,300 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Austin, TX to Mobile, AL ($109,428 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.3% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,835 in Mobile | $111,315 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Mobile, AL | Real change, Austin → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $61,722 | +8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $74,678 | +8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,508 | +8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,437 | +8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $125,776 | +8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $60,970 | $67,869 (+10.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $122,540 | $136,405 (+1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $72,130 | $80,291 (−3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $79,490 | $88,484 (−9.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.