City comparison
Cape Coral, FL vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 8.1% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $108,100 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Cape Coral, FL to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by −7.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.6% in real buying power.
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
- 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
| Cape Coral, FL | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.3 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,542 in San Antonio | $108,059 in Cape Coral |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,638/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,780 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cape Coral | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 102.3 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cape Coral, FL → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
94 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
45 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cape Coral, FL 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 Cape Coral, FL to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cape Coral, FL | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Cape Coral → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | +9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | +9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | +9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | +9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | +9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cape Coral, FL | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Cape Coral dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $61,720 | $66,694 (+10.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,940 | $128,430 | $138,780 (+9.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,420 | $78,650 | $84,988 (+7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $94,370 | $101,975 (+23.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.