City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 18.1% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $118,100 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.6% moving from San Antonio, TX to San Diego, CA ($108,001 → $121,585), while prices change by +18.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.7% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,129 in San Diego | $84,653 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | San Diego, CA | Real change, San Antonio → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $70,507 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $85,307 | −4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $102,246 | −4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $121,585 | −4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $143,677 | −4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $97,000 | $82,114 (+33.0%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $163,270 | $138,213 (+7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $96,340 | $81,555 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $139,520 | $118,108 (+25.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.