City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ann Arbor, MI are 6.5% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $106,500 in Ann Arbor, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,387 a month in Ann Arbor, MI versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Ann Arbor, MI and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Ann Arbor, MI than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to San Antonio, TX ($117,402 → $108,001), while prices change by −6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ann Arbor, MI | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,890 in San Antonio | $106,508 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
89 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Ann Arbor, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Ann Arbor → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,629 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,776 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,823 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $108,001 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $127,624 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $61,720 | $65,737 (+2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $128,430 | $136,788 (+7.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $78,650 | $83,768 (+4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $94,370 | $100,511 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.