City comparison
Minneapolis, MN vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 10.7% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $110,700 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,405 a month in Minneapolis, MN versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Minneapolis, MN and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,277 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.9% moving from Minneapolis, MN to San Antonio, TX ($116,038 → $108,001), while prices change by −9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
- 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
| Minneapolis, MN | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.8 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,359 in San Antonio | $110,670 in Minneapolis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,405/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,903 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,277 (MN) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,320 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Minneapolis | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.8 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 103.1 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 93.5 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 104.8 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Minneapolis, MN → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,277/yr.
100 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,277/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Minneapolis, MN is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Minneapolis, MN to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Minneapolis, MN | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Minneapolis → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,290 | $62,629 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,415 | $75,776 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,582 | $90,823 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $116,038 | $108,001 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $137,123 | $127,624 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Minneapolis, MN | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Minneapolis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,730 | $61,720 | $68,305 (−14.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,920 | $128,430 | $142,133 (+8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,500 | $78,650 | $87,042 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,040 | $94,370 | $104,439 (+1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.