City comparison
Memphis, TN 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 2.8% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $102,800 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,154 a month in Memphis, TN and $1,177 in San Antonio, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Memphis, TN to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.2% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,752 in San Antonio | $97,321 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
60 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Memphis, TN 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 Memphis, TN to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Memphis → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | −1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | −1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | −1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | −1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | −1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $61,720 | $60,067 (−2.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $128,430 | $124,990 (−0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $78,650 | $76,543 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $94,370 | $91,842 (+12.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.