City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Oklahoma City, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Oklahoma City, OK are 2.6% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $102,600 in Oklahoma City, OK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,017 a month in Oklahoma City, OK versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Oklahoma City, OK and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $781 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Oklahoma City, OK.
- 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 Mobile, AL to Oklahoma City, OK changes real buying power by −2.6%, purely from prices.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 90.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,622 in Oklahoma City | $97,445 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,017/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $47,230 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Oklahoma City, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 73.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 90.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$781/yr.
61 Fair offer
Oklahoma City, OK → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$781/yr.
77 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
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 Mobile, AL to Oklahoma City, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Oklahoma City, OK | Real change, Mobile → Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $121,810 | $82,490 | $80,382 (−34.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $122,390 | $119,263 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $77,280 | $75,305 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $82,920 | $80,801 (+1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.