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Cost of Living · Alabama

Mobile Cost of Living

Mobile, Alabama costs approximately 14.0% below the US national average. Compare with 99 other major US cities.

0.86×
cost-of-living index (1.00 = US national average)
Mobile ranks 2 of 2 cities in Alabama by cost of living.
Cities MORE expensive than Mobile (97)
San Francisco, CA
+68.6% more expensive
Oakland, CA
+57.0% more expensive
New York City, NY
+53.5% more expensive
Honolulu, HI
+51.2% more expensive
Irvine, CA
+51.2% more expensive
Los Angeles, CA
+41.9% more expensive
Boston, MA
+41.9% more expensive
San Diego, CA
+40.7% more expensive
Yonkers, NY
+39.5% more expensive
Anchorage, AK
+39.5% more expensive
Seattle, WA
+37.2% more expensive
Long Beach, CA
+37.2% more expensive
Anaheim, CA
+37.2% more expensive
Scottsdale, AZ
+37.2% more expensive
Chula Vista, CA
+33.7% more expensive
Miami, FL
+30.2% more expensive
Portland, OR
+27.9% more expensive
Newark, NJ
+27.9% more expensive
Sacramento, CA
+27.9% more expensive
Riverside, CA
+27.9% more expensive
Denver, CO
+25.6% more expensive
Chicago, IL
+22.1% more expensive
Austin, TX
+22.1% more expensive
Baltimore, MD
+22.1% more expensive
Stockton, CA
+22.1% more expensive
Aurora, CO
+22.1% more expensive
Hialeah, FL
+22.1% more expensive
Frisco, TX
+22.1% more expensive
Las Vegas, NV
+20.9% more expensive
Minneapolis, MN
+20.9% more expensive
Plano, TX
+20.9% more expensive
Chandler, AZ
+20.9% more expensive
Phoenix, AZ
+18.6% more expensive
Philadelphia, PA
+18.6% more expensive
Atlanta, GA
+18.6% more expensive
Tampa, FL
+18.6% more expensive
Henderson, NV
+18.6% more expensive
Reno, NV
+18.6% more expensive
Gilbert, AZ
+18.6% more expensive
Charleston, SC
+18.6% more expensive
Salt Lake City, UT
+18.6% more expensive
Orlando, FL
+17.4% more expensive
Wilmington, DE
+16.3% more expensive
Raleigh, NC
+16.3% more expensive
Virginia Beach, VA
+16.3% more expensive
St. Paul, MN
+16.3% more expensive
Chesapeake, VA
+16.3% more expensive
North Las Vegas, NV
+16.3% more expensive
Boise, ID
+16.3% more expensive
Fresno, CA
+16.3% more expensive
Worcester, MA
+16.3% more expensive
Dallas, TX
+15.1% more expensive
Nashville, TN
+15.1% more expensive
Colorado Springs, CO
+15.1% more expensive
Bakersfield, CA
+15.1% more expensive
St. Petersburg, FL
+15.1% more expensive
Madison, WI
+15.1% more expensive
Norfolk, VA
+14.0% more expensive
Jacksonville, FL
+12.8% more expensive
Charlotte, NC
+12.8% more expensive
Mesa, AZ
+12.8% more expensive
Houston, TX
+11.6% more expensive
Fort Worth, TX
+11.6% more expensive
Tucson, AZ
+11.6% more expensive
Glendale, AZ
+11.6% more expensive
Garland, TX
+11.6% more expensive
Spokane, WA
+11.6% more expensive
Pittsburgh, PA
+10.5% more expensive
Arlington, TX
+10.5% more expensive
Tallahassee, FL
+10.5% more expensive
Milwaukee, WI
+9.3% more expensive
Albuquerque, NM
+9.3% more expensive
New Orleans, LA
+9.3% more expensive
San Antonio, TX
+8.1% more expensive
Grand Rapids, MI
+8.1% more expensive
Columbus, OH
+7.0% more expensive
Detroit, MI
+7.0% more expensive
Cincinnati, OH
+7.0% more expensive
Kansas City, MO
+7.0% more expensive
Lexington, KY
+7.0% more expensive
Corpus Christi, TX
+7.0% more expensive
Buffalo, NY
+7.0% more expensive
Greensboro, NC
+7.0% more expensive
Knoxville, TN
+7.0% more expensive
El Paso, TX
+5.8% more expensive
Cleveland, OH
+5.8% more expensive
St. Louis, MO
+5.8% more expensive
Winston-Salem, NC
+5.8% more expensive
Indianapolis, IN
+4.7% more expensive
Louisville, KY
+4.7% more expensive
Omaha, NE
+4.7% more expensive
Memphis, TN
+3.5% more expensive
Oklahoma City, OK
+3.5% more expensive
Lincoln, NE
+3.5% more expensive
Birmingham, AL
+2.3% more expensive
Toledo, OH
+2.3% more expensive
Lubbock, TX
+2.3% more expensive

What living in Mobile costs

Mobile carries a cost index of 0.86x the national baseline, placing it above 0 of the 99 metros tracked and below 97. Rent runs about $850 monthly; the median home is near $210,000.

The price-to-rent ratio here is roughly 21, which is high. Above about 20, renting and investing the down payment usually beats buying over a normal holding period — the purchase price is steep relative to what the same property earns as a rental.

Working and living here

Mobile is a metro of roughly 0.4M and roughly flat, running on shipbuilding & aerospace, maritime/port, healthcare. Larger employers include Austal USA, Airbus (final assembly line), University of South Alabama.

Alabama taxes income at the state level, and Mobile adds no separate city tax. Cost-of-living indexes exclude income tax entirely, so compare after-tax figures rather than index ratios when weighing this metro against one in a no-income-tax state.

Getting around: Mobile is effectively car-dependent. Budget for a car — around $9,000 a year all-in once insurance, fuel, maintenance and parking are counted, a cost the index assumes but does not itemise.

Climate: Humid subtropical climate: January lows near 42°F, July highs near 91°F, very humid, hurricane-prone.

Mobile is among the wettest major US cities, averaging roughly 65 inches of rain a year; Airbus operates a commercial jet final-assembly line here, one of only two in North America.

Related tools

Paycheck calculator — take-home after federal, state and local tax. Salary calculator — pay by job and state. Compare against another metro.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mobile expensive to live in?▾
Relative to the US average, no — the cost index is 0.86x, above 0 and below 97 of the 99 other metros tracked here. A one-bedroom averages $850 a month and the median home $210,000.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Mobile?▾
A common rule keeps rent under 30% of gross income, which at $850 a month implies about $34,000 a year for a one-bedroom. That is a floor rather than a comfortable figure — it leaves nothing for savings or the car this metro effectively requires.