City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tulsa, OK are 1.3% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $101,300 in Tulsa, OK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $987 a month in Tulsa, OK versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tulsa, OK and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $781 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Tulsa, OK.
- 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 Tulsa, OK changes real buying power by −1.3%, purely from prices.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,267 in Tulsa | $98,749 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Tulsa, OK
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$781/yr.
65 Fair offer
Tulsa, OK → Mobile, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$781/yr.
73 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 Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Mobile → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $48,220 | $47,617 (−21.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $108,730 | $107,370 (−12.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $81,320 | $80,303 (+11.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $84,790 | $83,729 (+5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.