City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 14.5% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $114,500 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Tampa, FL.
- 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 Tampa, FL changes real buying power by −12.7%, purely from prices.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,520 in Tampa | $87,321 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.7%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
36 Weak offer
Tampa, FL → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
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 Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Tampa, FL | Real change, Mobile → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −12.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −12.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −12.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −12.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −12.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $60,120 | $52,497 (−13.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $130,450 | $113,910 (−7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $78,990 | $68,975 (−4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $85,470 | $74,633 (−6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.