City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 28.9% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $128,900 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Mobile, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Mobile, AL ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −22.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.6% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $77,574 in Mobile | $128,909 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +28.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −22.4%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Mobile, AL | Real change, Los Angeles → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | +10.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | +10.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | +10.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | +10.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | +10.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $60,970 | $78,596 (−22.8%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $122,540 | $157,965 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $72,130 | $92,982 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $79,490 | $102,470 (−24.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.