City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Cleveland, OH (93.9) and San Antonio, TX (94.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Cleveland, OH goes as far as $100,800 in San Antonio, TX.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cleveland, OH than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Cleveland, OH to San Antonio, TX ($111,138 → $108,001), while prices change by +0.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.6% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,844 in San Antonio | $99,163 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
66 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Cleveland, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +0.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Cleveland → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,629 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,776 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $90,823 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $108,001 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $127,624 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $61,720 | $61,203 (−20.0%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $128,430 | $127,355 (+14.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $78,650 | $77,992 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $94,370 | $93,580 (+11.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.