City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 11.3% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $111,300 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Anchorage, AK and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in AK and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Anchorage, AK to San Antonio, TX ($120,348 → $108,001), while prices change by −10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.1% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,846 in San Antonio | $111,301 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Anchorage → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $62,629 | −0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $75,776 | −0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $90,823 | −0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $108,001 | −0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $127,624 | −0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $61,720 | $68,695 (−13.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $128,430 | $142,944 (+37.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $78,650 | $87,538 (+6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $94,370 | $105,035 (−8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.