City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 5.6% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $105,600 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Atlanta, GA to San Antonio, TX ($112,556 → $108,001), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (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
| Atlanta, GA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,661 in San Antonio | $105,640 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
86 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Atlanta → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,629 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,776 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,823 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $108,001 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $127,624 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $61,720 | $65,201 (−14.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $128,430 | $135,673 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $78,650 | $83,086 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $94,370 | $99,692 (−0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.