City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 10.2% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $110,200 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Mobile, AL to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.0% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,173 in Reading | $90,767 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
40 Weak offer
Reading, PA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Reading, PA | Real change, Mobile → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $121,810 | $102,480 | $93,018 (−23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $120,920 | $109,755 (−10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $75,550 | $68,574 (−4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $98,470 | $89,378 (+12.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.