City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 6.5% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $106,500 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Salt Lake City, UT to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by −6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.1% in real buying power.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (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
| Salt Lake City, UT | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,901 in San Antonio | $106,495 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/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 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
89 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salt Lake City, 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 Salt Lake City, UT to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Salt Lake City → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | +8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | +8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | +8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | +8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | +8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $61,720 | $65,729 (−15.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $128,430 | $136,772 (+5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $78,650 | $83,758 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $94,370 | $100,500 (+17.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.