City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 10.3% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $110,300 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.3% moving from Baltimore, MD to San Antonio, TX ($121,785 → $108,001), while prices change by −9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (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
| Baltimore, MD | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,649 in San Antonio | $110,316 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
100 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Baltimore → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,629 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,776 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $90,823 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $108,001 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $127,624 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $61,720 | $68,087 (−10.9%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $128,430 | $141,679 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $78,650 | $86,764 (+1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $94,370 | $104,105 (+4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.