City comparison
New Orleans, LA 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 2.3% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $102,300 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in New Orleans, LA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from New Orleans, LA to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (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
| New Orleans, LA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,288 in San Antonio | $97,763 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
62 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Orleans, LA 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 New Orleans, LA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, New Orleans → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $61,720 | $60,339 (−0.0%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $128,430 | $125,557 (+17.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $78,650 | $76,890 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $94,370 | $92,259 (+12.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.