City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 17.2% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $117,200 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.9% moving from San Antonio, TX to Urban Honolulu, HI ($108,001 → $111,119), while prices change by +17.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.2% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (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 | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,151 in Urban Honolulu | $85,360 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, San Antonio → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $64,438 | −12.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $77,964 | −12.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $93,445 | −12.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $111,119 | −12.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $131,310 | −12.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $73,080 | $62,381 (+1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $120,230 | $102,628 (−20.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $74,990 | $64,011 (−18.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $139,260 | $118,872 (+26.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.