City comparison
Columbia, SC 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 1.1% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $101,100 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,164 a month in Columbia, SC and $1,177 in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Columbia, SC to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (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
| Columbia, SC | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,125 in San Antonio | $98,887 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
65 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Columbia, SC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbia, SC 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 Columbia, SC to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Columbia → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $61,720 | $61,033 (+1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $128,430 | $127,001 (+2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $78,650 | $77,775 (+12.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $94,370 | $93,320 (+13.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.