City comparison
Columbus, GA 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 6.1% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $106,100 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Columbus, GA to San Antonio, TX ($112,556 → $108,001), while prices change by +6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,070 in San Antonio | $94,278 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
51 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Columbus → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,629 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,776 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,823 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $108,001 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $127,624 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $61,720 | $58,188 (−5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $128,430 | $121,081 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $78,650 | $74,149 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $94,370 | $88,970 (+7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.