City comparison
Portland, ME vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 7.5% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $107,500 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,654 a year higher in Portland, ME than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Portland, ME to San Antonio, TX ($120,548 → $108,001), while prices change by −7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
- 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
| Portland, ME | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,988 in San Antonio | $107,540 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,658/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,526 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,654 (ME) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,960 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Portland-South Portland, ME and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.2 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 97.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 134.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 103.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 101.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, ME → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,654/yr.
92 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Portland, ME
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$5,654/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, ME is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, ME to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, ME | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Portland → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $62,629 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $75,776 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $90,823 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $108,001 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $127,624 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, ME | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,770 | $61,720 | $66,374 (−13.5%) |
| Software Developers | $128,710 | $128,430 | $138,114 (+7.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $78,650 | $84,581 (+6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $88,470 | $94,370 | $101,486 (+14.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.