City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in El Paso, TX are 2.1% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $102,100 in El Paso, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,013 a month in El Paso, TX versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in El Paso, 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 El Paso, TX.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from El Paso, TX to Mobile, AL changes real buying power by +2.1%, purely from prices.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- 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
| El Paso, TX | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,982 in Mobile | $102,059 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/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 | 15% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
75 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → El Paso, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Mobile, AL | Real change, El Paso → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $60,970 | $62,225 (−2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $122,540 | $125,063 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $72,130 | $73,615 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $79,490 | $81,127 (−5.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.