Mobile cost of living
Prices in the Mobile, AL metro area run at 88.1 against a national average of 100, ranking it #333 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 60.1.
What drives the number
Prices in Mobile run at 88.1 where the national average is 100, so about 11.9 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #333 of 387 metro areas. Against Alabama as a whole it is 0.7 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 60.1 against goods at 96.4 and other services at 84.2, so the overall figure of 88.1 understates how affordable the housing itself is. Services, which are priced by local wages, are what hold the overall number up.
Low prices only help if pay does not fall by more. Dividing the local median wage by 88.1 is how to check, and the wage pages carry that comparison.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Mobile is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 5,200 | $69,700 | $79,115 | $93,600 |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,860 | $29,070 | $32,997 | $34,580 |
| Cashiers | 4,100 | $25,100 | $28,490 | $31,190 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,730 | $33,690 | $38,241 | $37,090 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 3,530 | $39,740 | $45,108 | $46,290 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3,500 | $49,440 | $56,118 | $57,440 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,030 | $23,190 | $26,322 | $30,480 |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,970 | $100,880 | $114,506 | $102,950 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 88.1.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | 94.7 | 89.2 | #172 |
| Huntsville | 93.1 | 77.9 | #207 |
| Birmingham | 91.6 | 71.9 | #254 |
| Montgomery | 89.7 | 64.3 | #295 |
| Columbus | 89.3 | 61.2 | #304 |
| Auburn-Opelika | 87.9 | 62.1 | #338 |
Mobile: common questions
Is Mobile expensive?
Prices are 11.9% below the national average, a parity of 88.1 where the country is 100. It ranks #333 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Alabama as a whole it is 0.7 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Mobile?
The median worker there earns $44,600, which buys what $50,624 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 60.1 against goods at 96.4. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.