City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 1.2% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $101,200 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY and $1,177 in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.0% moving from Buffalo, NY to San Antonio, TX ($111,301 → $108,001), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (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
| Buffalo, NY | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,823 in San Antonio | $101,191 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
72 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Buffalo, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Buffalo → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $62,629 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $75,776 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $90,823 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $108,001 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $127,624 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $61,720 | $62,455 (−18.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $128,430 | $129,960 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $78,650 | $79,587 (−3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $94,370 | $95,494 (−3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.