City comparison
Lincoln, NE 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 3.4% higher than in Lincoln, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Lincoln, NE would need about $103,400 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 $926 in Lincoln, NE. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 15% in Lincoln, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Lincoln, NE than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Lincoln, NE to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Lincoln, NE: price level 91.6 (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
| Lincoln, NE | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,423 in San Antonio | $96,690 in Lincoln |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $926/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,800 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Lincoln, NE HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lincoln, NE and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lincoln | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.2 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 76.8 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lincoln, NE → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
58 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Lincoln, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lincoln, NE 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 Lincoln, NE to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lincoln, NE | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Lincoln → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lincoln, NE | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Lincoln dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,940 | $61,720 | $59,677 (−3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $101,690 | $128,430 | $124,179 (+22.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,170 | $78,650 | $76,047 (+16.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,530 | $94,370 | $91,246 (+4.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.