City comparison
Montgomery, AL 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 5.6% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $105,600 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Montgomery, AL than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Montgomery, AL to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.9% in real buying power.
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (much 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
| Montgomery, AL | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.7 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,613 in San Antonio | $94,685 in Montgomery |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $870/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,950 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Montgomery, AL MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Montgomery, AL and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Montgomery | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.3 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 84.9 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 89.7 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Montgomery, AL → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
52 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Montgomery, AL 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 Montgomery, AL to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Montgomery, AL | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Montgomery → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | −3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | −3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | −3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | −3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | −3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Montgomery, AL | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Montgomery dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,610 | $61,720 | $58,440 (−2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $110,620 | $128,430 | $121,604 (+9.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,040 | $78,650 | $74,470 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,570 | $94,370 | $89,354 (+12.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.