City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 17.3% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $117,300 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from San Antonio, TX to Seattle, WA ($108,001 → $119,630), while prices change by +17.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,333 in Seattle | $85,228 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Seattle, WA | Real change, San Antonio → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $69,373 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $83,935 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $100,602 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $119,630 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $141,367 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $102,920 | $87,716 (+42.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $167,280 | $142,569 (+11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $99,370 | $84,691 (+7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $128,260 | $109,313 (+15.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.