City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 9.1% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $109,100 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.0% moving from Phoenix, AZ to San Antonio, TX ($111,338 → $108,001), while prices change by −8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.8% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
- 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
| Phoenix, AZ | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,676 in San Antonio | $109,080 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
97 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Phoenix → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $62,629 | +5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $75,776 | +5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $90,823 | +5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $108,001 | +5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $127,624 | +5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $61,720 | $67,324 (+13.8%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $128,430 | $140,091 (+6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $78,650 | $85,791 (+6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $94,370 | $102,939 (+2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.