City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 4.3% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $104,300 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Baton Rouge, LA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,336 in San Antonio | $95,844 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
56 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Baton Rouge → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $61,720 | $59,155 (−0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $128,430 | $123,093 (+20.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $78,650 | $75,382 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $94,370 | $90,448 (+11.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.