City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Pittsburgh, PA (94.7) and San Antonio, TX (94.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA goes as far as $100,000 in San Antonio, TX.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.9% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to San Antonio, TX ($110,047 → $108,001), while prices change by +0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (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
| Pittsburgh, PA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,048 in San Antonio | $99,952 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/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 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
69 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Pittsburgh, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Pittsburgh → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $62,629 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $75,776 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $90,823 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $108,001 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $127,624 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $61,720 | $61,691 (−19.4%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $128,430 | $128,369 (+3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $78,650 | $78,613 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $94,370 | $94,325 (+14.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.