City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Virginia Beach, VA are 3.4% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $103,400 in Virginia Beach, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.0% moving from San Antonio, TX to Virginia Beach, VA ($108,001 → $108,019), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.3% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,405 in Virginia Beach | $96,707 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
58 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, San Antonio → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $62,640 | −3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $75,788 | −3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $90,838 | −3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $108,019 | −3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $127,646 | −3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $63,380 | $61,293 (−0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $129,090 | $124,839 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $79,450 | $76,834 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $89,450 | $86,505 (−8.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.