City comparison
Provo, UT vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Provo, UT are 3.7% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $103,700 in Provo, UT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,265 a month in Provo, UT versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Provo, UT and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Provo, UT than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Provo, UT to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (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
| Provo, UT | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,421 in San Antonio | $103,712 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
80 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Provo, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Provo, UT 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 Provo, UT to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Provo → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $61,720 | $64,011 (+1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $128,430 | $133,198 (+1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $78,650 | $81,570 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $94,370 | $97,873 (+19.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.