City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Toledo, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Toledo, OH are 3.8% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $103,800 in Toledo, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $919 a month in Mobile, AL versus $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Mobile, AL and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,767 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Toledo, OH.
- 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 Toledo, OH changes real buying power by −3.7%, purely from prices.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Toledo, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,811 in Toledo | $96,329 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $820/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $48,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Toledo, OH MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Toledo, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 67.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Toledo, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$2,767/yr.
57 Fair offer
Toledo, OH → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,767/yr.
81 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 Toledo, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Toledo, OH | Real change, Mobile → Toledo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Toledo, OH | Toledo pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $63,250 | $60,928 (−0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $104,360 | $100,529 (−18.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $77,400 | $74,559 (+3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $81,050 | $78,075 (−1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.