City comparison
Beaumont, TX vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 5.2% higher than in Beaumont, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Beaumont, TX would need about $105,200 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Beaumont, TX to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by +5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Beaumont, TX | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,186 in San Antonio | $95,069 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
53 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Beaumont, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Beaumont, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Beaumont, TX to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Beaumont → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,260 | $61,720 | $58,677 (−2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $128,430 | $122,098 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $78,650 | $74,772 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $94,370 | $89,717 (+10.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.