City comparison
Philadelphia, PA vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 8.3% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $108,300 in Philadelphia, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,520 a month in Philadelphia, PA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Philadelphia, PA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.9% moving from Philadelphia, PA to San Antonio, TX ($117,284 → $108,001), while prices change by −7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (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
| Philadelphia, PA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.6 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,357 in San Antonio | $108,275 in Philadelphia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,520/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,310 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Philadelphia | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.1 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 114.4 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 103.1 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 102.6 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Philadelphia, PA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
95 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Philadelphia, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Philadelphia, PA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Philadelphia, PA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Philadelphia → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,629 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,776 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $90,823 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $108,001 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $127,624 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Philadelphia, PA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Philadelphia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,570 | $61,720 | $66,827 (−14.9%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $128,430 | $139,058 (+4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,990 | $78,650 | $85,158 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,180 | $94,370 | $102,179 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.