City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 6.2% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $106,200 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,955 a year higher in Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK ($108,001 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.6% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,191 in Tulsa | $106,167 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $46,670 |
| 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 Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,955/yr.
88 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,955/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Tulsa, OK | Real change, San Antonio → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $61,722 | +4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $74,678 | +4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $89,508 | +4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $106,437 | +4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $125,776 | +4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $48,220 | $51,194 (−17.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $108,730 | $115,436 (−10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $81,320 | $86,335 (+9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $84,790 | $90,019 (−4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.