City comparison
Chicago, IL vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 9.4% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $109,400 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Chicago, IL to San Antonio, TX ($118,984 → $108,001), while prices change by −8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (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
| Chicago, IL | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,429 in San Antonio | $109,374 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
98 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Chicago → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $62,629 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $75,776 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $90,823 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $108,001 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $127,624 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $61,720 | $67,506 (−13.9%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $128,430 | $140,469 (+4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $78,650 | $86,023 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $94,370 | $103,217 (+2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.