Uprootmap
Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
Uprootmap
Houston skyline
The original uploader was Marc Mongenet at French Wikipedia .. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License
Mobile skyline
Quintin Soloviev. CC BY 4.0. Photo source · License

Houston vs Mobile

$1,028/mo less in Mobile

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

HoustonMobileAbout 431 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Mobile costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 235 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,132/mo in Mobile. $3,160/mo in Houston. −$12,336 a year.

Houston

$3,160

left each month

Mobile

$2,132

−$1,028 vs Houston

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Mobile wins 1 of 4Houston 3 · ties 0
$6,298Take-home · Houston$5,068
$1,188Rent · Mobile$984
$1,950Other bills · Houston$1,952
$3,160Left over · Houston$2,132

Next

In 2022-2023, 72 households moved Houston → Mobile (avg AGI $41,847). 217 went the other way. The whole move →

−$1,028 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthHoustonMobile
Less leftMore left
Mobile · this breakdownHouston · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Houston, TX and Mobile, AL
Per monthHoustonMobileDifference
Gross pay$7,958$6,765−$1,194
Income and payroll tax$1,661$1,697+$36
Take-home pay$6,298$5,068−$1,230
Rent$1,188$984−$204
Getting around$572$588+$16
Groceries$380$376−$4
Healthcare$428$423−$5
Utilities$238$235−$3
Everything else$333$329−$4
Left over$3,160$2,132−$1,028

Salary to match Houston

$100,500

Gross pay in Mobile that leaves the same amount as $95,500 in Houston.

Tax difference

−$4,680

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.9% in Houston, 25.1% in Mobile.

More about Mobile

Houston, TX in full

The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.

Mobile, AL in full

State income tax topping out at 5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,171 and 235 sunny days; commutes average 26 minutes.

The other way

Start in Mobile.

Mobile → Houston →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Mobile than Houston?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Mobile leaves about $1,028 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,188 in Houston and $984 in Mobile.

Does Mobile have state income tax?

Mobile is in Alabama, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 1.00%.

What changes if you move from Houston to Mobile?

The paycheck is taxed in Alabama. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Houston and Mobile changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.