City comparison
Houston, TX vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 4.1% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $104,100 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.0% moving from Houston, TX to San Antonio, TX ($122,749 → $108,001), while prices change by −4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.4% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (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
| Houston, TX | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,033 in San Antonio | $104,131 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
82 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Houston → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $62,629 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $75,776 | −8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $90,823 | −8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $108,001 | −8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $127,624 | −8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $61,720 | $64,270 (−0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $128,430 | $133,736 (+3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $78,650 | $81,899 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $94,370 | $98,269 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.