City comparison
Birmingham, AL 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 3.4% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $103,400 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL and $1,177 in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Birmingham, AL to San Antonio, TX ($107,510 → $108,001), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (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
| Birmingham, AL | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,352 in San Antonio | $96,757 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
59 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Birmingham → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $62,629 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $75,776 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $90,823 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $108,001 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $127,624 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $61,720 | $59,718 (−4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $128,430 | $124,265 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $78,650 | $76,099 (−3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $94,370 | $91,309 (+16.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.