City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 14.5% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $114,500 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +23.2% moving from San Antonio, TX to Vallejo, CA ($108,001 → $133,060), while prices change by +14.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.6% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (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 | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,531 in Vallejo | $87,313 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.7%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Vallejo, CA | Real change, San Antonio → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $77,161 | +7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $93,358 | +7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $111,896 | +7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $133,060 | +7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $157,236 | +7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $100,790 | $88,003 (+42.6%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $136,930 | $119,557 (−6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $95,800 | $83,646 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $203,290 | $177,498 (+88.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.