City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 19.9% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $119,900 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.0% moving from Los Angeles, CA to San Antonio, TX ($124,085 → $108,001), while prices change by −16.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.4% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much 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
| Los Angeles, CA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,402 in San Antonio | $119,902 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.6%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Los Angeles → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,629 | +4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,776 | +4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,823 | +4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $108,001 | +4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,624 | +4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $61,720 | $74,003 (−27.3%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $128,430 | $153,990 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $78,650 | $94,303 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $94,370 | $113,151 (−16.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.