City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 5.9% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $105,900 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX and $1,193 in Spokane, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.9% moving from San Antonio, TX to Spokane, WA ($108,001 → $106,991), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,944 in Spokane | $94,389 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
51 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Spokane, WA | Real change, San Antonio → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $62,044 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $75,068 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $89,974 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $106,991 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $126,432 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $98,800 | $93,257 (+51.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $130,690 | $123,358 (−3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $86,350 | $81,505 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $111,750 | $105,480 (+11.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.