City comparison
Mobile, AL vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 7.9% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $107,900 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $972 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Mobile, AL to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by +7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,934 in St. Louis | $92,649 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$972/yr.
46 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$972/yr.
94 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Mobile → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $121,810 | $106,420 | $98,597 (−19.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $129,030 | $119,545 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $78,880 | $73,081 (+1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $83,180 | $77,065 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.