Cost of living in Mobile research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Mobile is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Alabama, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Mobile is 89, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Mobile is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Mobile ranks as the #41 cheapest in Alabama out of 119.
Mobile ranks as the #1,060 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Mobile is $195,238.
The median income in Mobile is $51,090.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Mobile has an overall cost of living index of 89, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Mobile has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Alabama's index of 90.
The standard of living in Mobile ranks as #41 most affordable out of the 119 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Mobile ranks as the #78 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Mobile, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Mobile. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Mobile is 99.
The Groceries index in Mobile is 96.
The Health index in Mobile is 107.
The Housing index in Mobile is 79.
The Transportation index in Mobile is 93.
The Utilities index in Mobile is 88.
| Living Expense | Mobile | Alabama | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 89 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 99 | 97 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 96 | 98 | 100 | |
| Health | 107 | 86 | 100 | |
| Housing | 79 | 74 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 93 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 88 | 102 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Alabama, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Mobile is $195,238.
The Median Rent in Mobile is $1,029.
The Median Income in Mobile is $51,090.
The Home Value To Income in Mobile is 3.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Mobile is 0.24x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Mobile. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Daphne, AL has a cost of living index of 101, 1.1x Mobile.
Fairhope, AL has a cost of living index of 114, 1.3x Mobile.
Prichard, AL has a cost of living index of 82, 0.9x Mobile.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne, AL | 28,673 | 101 | 1.1x |
| Fairhope, AL | 23,360 | 114 | 1.3x |
| Prichard, AL | 19,121 | 82 | 0.9x |
| Tillmans Corner, AL | 17,678 | 88 | 1.0x |
| Saraland, AL | 16,304 | 94 | 1.1x |
| Spanish Fort, AL | 10,377 | 105 | 1.2x |
| Satsuma, AL | 6,784 | 95 | 1.1x |
| Chickasaw, AL | 6,367 | 84 | 0.9x |
| Semmes, AL | 5,404 | 89 | 1.0x |