City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 6.5% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $106,500 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from San Antonio, TX to Tampa, FL ($108,001 → $106,437), while prices change by +6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (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 | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,518 in Tampa | $93,880 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $48,940 |
| 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
49 Fair offer
Tampa, FL → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Tampa, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Tampa, FL | Real change, San Antonio → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $61,722 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $74,678 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $89,508 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $106,437 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $125,776 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $60,120 | $56,441 (−8.6%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $130,450 | $122,467 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $78,990 | $74,156 (−5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $85,470 | $80,240 (−15.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.