City comparison
Denver, CO vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Denver, CO are 20.1% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $120,100 in Denver, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,754 a month in Denver, CO versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Denver, CO and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,043 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Denver, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Denver, CO to Mobile, AL ($118,675 → $106,437), while prices change by −16.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.7% in real buying power.
- Denver, CO: price level 105.8 (pricier)
- 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
| Denver, CO | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.8 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,283 in Mobile | $120,073 in Denver |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,754/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 28% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $62,320 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Denver | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 146.9 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 101.0 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 105.8 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Denver, CO → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,043/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Denver, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.7%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax −$1,043/yr.
33 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Denver, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Denver, CO to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Denver, CO | Mobile, AL | Real change, Denver → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $61,722 | +7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $74,678 | +7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $89,508 | +7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $106,437 | +7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $125,776 | +7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Denver, CO | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Denver dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $136,670 | $121,810 | $146,261 (+7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $137,610 | $122,540 | $147,138 (+6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,020 | $72,130 | $86,609 (−13.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,130 | $79,490 | $95,446 (−5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.