City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in San Antonio, TX (94.7) and St. Louis, MO (95.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in San Antonio, TX goes as far as $100,400 in St. Louis, MO.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from San Antonio, TX to St. Louis, MO ($108,001 → $109,137), while prices change by +0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,393 in St. Louis | $99,609 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → St. Louis, MO
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
68 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | St. Louis, MO | Real change, San Antonio → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $63,288 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $76,573 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $91,779 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $109,137 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $128,967 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $60,650 | $60,413 (−2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $129,030 | $128,525 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $78,880 | $78,571 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $83,180 | $82,855 (−12.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.