City comparison
Lexington, KY 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 2.0% higher than in Lexington, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Lexington, KY would need about $102,000 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 $1,079 in Lexington, KY. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 17% in Lexington, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,382 a year higher in Lexington, KY than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Lexington, KY to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by +2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Lexington, KY: price level 92.9 (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
| Lexington, KY | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,967 in San Antonio | $98,071 in Lexington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,079/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,620 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Lexington-Fayette, KY MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lexington-Fayette, KY and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lexington | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.1 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 96.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 92.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lexington, KY → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,382/yr.
63 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Lexington, KY
Roughly even
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,382/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lexington, KY 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 Lexington, KY to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lexington, KY | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Lexington → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lexington, KY | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Lexington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $61,720 | $60,529 (−1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,510 | $128,430 | $125,953 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,780 | $78,650 | $77,133 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,040 | $94,370 | $92,550 (+17.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.