City comparison
Reno, NV vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 6.6% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $106,600 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NV and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Reno, NV to San Antonio, TX ($106,855 → $108,001), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.8% in real buying power.
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (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
| Reno, NV | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.0 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,765 in San Antonio | $106,649 in Reno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,489/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Reno-Fernley, NV | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reno, NV and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reno | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.5 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 101.0 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reno, NV → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
90 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reno, NV is in the Reno-Fernley, NV pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Reno, NV to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reno, NV | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Reno → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,965 | $62,629 | +7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,972 | $75,776 | +7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,859 | $90,823 | +7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,855 | $108,001 | +7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,271 | $127,624 | +7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reno, NV | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Reno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,430 | $61,720 | $65,824 (+5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,710 | $128,430 | $136,970 (+9.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,370 | $78,650 | $83,880 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,520 | $94,370 | $100,645 (−6.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.