City comparison
Austin, TX vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 3.5% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $103,500 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Austin, TX to San Antonio, TX ($109,428 → $108,001), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,584 in San Antonio | $103,537 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
80 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Austin → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $62,629 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $75,776 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $90,823 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $108,001 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $127,624 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $61,720 | $63,903 (+4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $128,430 | $132,972 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $78,650 | $81,432 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $94,370 | $97,708 (−0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.