City comparison
Charleston, SC vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charleston, SC are 6.6% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $106,600 in Charleston, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,630 a month in Charleston, SC versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Charleston, SC and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Charleston, SC than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Charleston, SC to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.2% in real buying power.
- Charleston, SC: price level 101.0 (about average)
- 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
| Charleston, SC | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.0 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,814 in San Antonio | $106,594 in Charleston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,630/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,150 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Charleston-North Charleston, SC and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charleston | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 119.8 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 88.2 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 101.0 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charleston, SC → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
89 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Charleston, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charleston, SC 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 Charleston, SC to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charleston, SC | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Charleston → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | +8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | +8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | +8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | +8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | +8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charleston, SC | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Charleston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,020 | $61,720 | $65,790 (+7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,150 | $128,430 | $136,899 (+3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,350 | $78,650 | $83,837 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,800 | $94,370 | $100,593 (+8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.