City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Winston, NC are 4.5% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $104,500 in Winston, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in Winston, NC versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Winston, NC and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,254 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Winston, NC.
- 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 Winston, NC changes real buying power by −4.3%, purely from prices.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,478 in Winston | $95,714 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $46,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Winston, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,254/yr.
55 Fair offer
Winston, NC → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,254/yr.
83 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
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 Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Winston, NC | Real change, Mobile → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Winston, NC | Winston pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $121,810 | $129,980 | $124,409 (+2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $124,130 | $118,810 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $78,950 | $75,566 (+4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $86,120 | $82,429 (+3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.