City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 2.3% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $102,300 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Tucson, AZ than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from San Antonio, TX to Tucson, AZ ($108,001 → $108,455), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,302 in Tucson | $97,750 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
62 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Tucson, AZ | Real change, San Antonio → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $62,893 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $76,095 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $91,205 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $108,455 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $128,162 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $47,220 | $46,158 (−25.2%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $123,710 | $120,927 (−5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $76,320 | $74,603 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $94,110 | $91,993 (−2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.