City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 5.6% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $105,600 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Palm Bay, FL to San Antonio, TX ($107,228 → $108,001), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.3% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- 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
| Palm Bay, FL | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,711 in San Antonio | $105,584 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
86 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Palm Bay → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $62,629 | +6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $75,776 | +6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $90,823 | +6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $108,001 | +6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $127,624 | +6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $61,720 | $65,166 (+4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $128,430 | $135,602 (+2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $78,650 | $83,042 (+9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $94,370 | $99,640 (+23.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.