City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 2.3% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $102,300 in Milwaukee, WI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.0% moving from Milwaukee, WI to San Antonio, TX ($111,310 → $108,001), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (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
| Milwaukee, WI | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,709 in San Antonio | $102,345 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
76 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Milwaukee → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $62,629 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $75,776 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $90,823 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $108,001 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $127,624 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $61,720 | $63,167 (+2.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $128,430 | $131,442 (+6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $78,650 | $80,494 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $94,370 | $96,583 (−0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.