City comparison
Madison, AL is about 300 miles (475 km) from Mobile, AL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 375 miles, or about 6 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Madison, AL to Mobile, AL takes about 35 min, covering roughly 300 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Mobile has a population of 186,316, vs 56,967 in Madison — about 3.3× larger by population. By land area, Mobile covers about 150 sq mi vs 31 sq mi for Madison.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Madison | Mobile | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,201/mo | $985/mo | 21.9% higher in Madison |
| Median home value | $327,100 | $158,400 | 106.5% higher in Madison |
| Median household income | $118,132 | $48,524 | 143.5% higher in Madison |
| Groceries index | 96.6 | 96.6 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 84.9 | 85.1 | ≈ equal (Mobile slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 97.0 | 97.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 96.5 | 96.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Madison, you'd need $91,515 in Mobile to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Mobile, AL is about 8.5% cheaper overall than Madison, AL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% higher in Madison than in Mobile. If you earn $80,000 in Madison, you'd need about $73,212 in Mobile to keep the same standard of living.