City comparison
Raleigh, NC vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 3.6% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $103,600 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Raleigh, NC to San Antonio, TX ($111,147 → $108,001), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (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
| Raleigh, NC | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,494 in San Antonio | $103,633 in Raleigh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,596/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,990 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Raleigh | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.5 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Raleigh, NC → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
80 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Raleigh, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Raleigh, NC to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Raleigh, NC | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Raleigh → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,629 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,776 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $90,823 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $108,001 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $127,624 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Raleigh, NC | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Raleigh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,170 | $61,720 | $63,962 (+6.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,770 | $128,430 | $133,096 (+0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,950 | $78,650 | $81,507 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,830 | $94,370 | $97,798 (+15.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.