City comparison
Mobile, AL vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 31.2% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $131,200 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Mobile, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Mobile, AL to San Francisco, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +31.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.7% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $131,232 in San Francisco | $76,201 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −23.8%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +31.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Mobile → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | −4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | −4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | −4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | −4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $101,860 | $77,618 (+27.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $186,640 | $142,221 (+16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $110,730 | $84,377 (+17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $186,610 | $142,198 (+78.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.