City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 8.0% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $108,000 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from San Antonio, TX to Tuscaloosa, AL ($108,001 → $107,510), while prices change by −7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.5% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (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 | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,616 in Tuscaloosa | $107,973 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
94 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, San Antonio → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $62,344 | +7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $75,431 | +7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $90,410 | +7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $107,510 | +7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $127,044 | +7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $60,220 | $65,021 (+5.3%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $104,870 | $113,231 (−11.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $71,690 | $77,406 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $75,250 | $81,250 (−13.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.