City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 10.0% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $110,000 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,444 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Mobile, AL to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,987 in Tucson | $90,920 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,444/yr.
40 Weak offer
Tucson, AZ → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,444/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Mobile → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $47,220 | $42,933 (−29.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $123,710 | $112,477 (−8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $76,320 | $69,390 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $94,110 | $85,565 (+7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.