City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Cincinnati, OH (95.4) and San Antonio, TX (94.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH goes as far as $99,300 in San Antonio, TX.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cincinnati, OH than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Cincinnati, OH to San Antonio, TX ($110,865 → $108,001), while prices change by −0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,314 in San Antonio | $100,690 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
71 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Cincinnati, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −0.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Cincinnati → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $62,629 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $75,776 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $90,823 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $108,001 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $127,624 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $61,720 | $62,146 (−4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $128,430 | $129,317 (+6.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $78,650 | $79,193 (−1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $94,370 | $95,022 (+13.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.