City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 2.0% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $102,000 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,921 a year higher in South Bend, IN than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from San Antonio, TX to South Bend, IN ($108,001 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,038 in South Bend | $102,001 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,921/yr.
75 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,921/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | South Bend, IN | Real change, San Antonio → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $61,722 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $74,678 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $89,508 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $106,437 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $125,776 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $58,180 | $59,344 (−3.8%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $95,500 | $97,411 (−24.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $77,940 | $79,500 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $93,540 | $95,412 (+1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.