City comparison
Omaha, NE 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 3.1% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $103,100 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE and $1,177 in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Omaha, NE to San Antonio, TX ($107,501 → $108,001), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.5% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (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
| Omaha, NE | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,052 in San Antonio | $97,039 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
59 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Omaha → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $62,629 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $75,776 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $90,823 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $108,001 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $127,624 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $61,720 | $59,892 (−4.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $128,430 | $124,627 (−0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $78,650 | $76,321 (−0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $94,370 | $91,575 (+8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.