City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 11.4% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $111,400 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,254 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Raleigh, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Mobile, AL to Raleigh, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.3% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,418 in Raleigh | $89,752 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,254/yr.
37 Weak offer
Raleigh, NC → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,254/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Mobile → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | −6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | −6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | −6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | −6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | −6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $60,170 | $54,004 (−11.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $132,770 | $119,164 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $81,950 | $73,552 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $84,830 | $76,137 (−4.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.