City comparison
Gainesville, FL vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Gainesville, FL are 2.1% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $102,100 in Gainesville, FL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,246 a month in Gainesville, FL versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Gainesville, FL and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Gainesville, FL to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.6% in real buying power.
- Gainesville, FL: price level 96.7 (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
| Gainesville, FL | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.7 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,915 in San Antonio | $102,130 in Gainesville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,246/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,020 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Gainesville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Gainesville, FL and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gainesville | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.0 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 88.2 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 96.7 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gainesville, FL → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
75 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Gainesville, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Gainesville, FL 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 Gainesville, FL to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gainesville, FL | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Gainesville → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | +3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | +3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | +3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | +3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | +3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gainesville, FL | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Gainesville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $56,430 | $61,720 | $63,034 (+11.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,950 | $128,430 | $131,165 (+6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,820 | $78,650 | $80,325 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,870 | $94,370 | $96,380 (+17.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.