Moving from Des Moines to San Antonio
Moving to San Antonio costs you $64 a month
−$768 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Des Moines leftover
$2,893
a month after tax and rent
San Antonio leftover
$2,829
−$64 vs Des Moines
In 2022-2023, 30 households moved Des Moines → San Antonio (avg AGI $60,233). The whole move →
| Per month | Des Moines | San Antonio | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,500 | $7,266 | −$234 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,764 | $1,455 | −$308 |
| Take-home pay | $5,736 | $5,810 | +$74 |
| Rent | $1,005 | $1,052 | +$47 |
| Getting around | $533 | $566 | +$33 |
| Groceries | $360 | $376 | +$16 |
| Healthcare | $405 | $423 | +$18 |
| Utilities | $225 | $235 | +$10 |
| Everything else | $315 | $329 | +$14 |
| Left over | $2,893 | $2,829 | −$64 |
To break even in San Antonio, you'd need to earn
$88,500
Household gross, versus $90,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Des Moines does now.
The tax difference alone
+$2,865
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about San Antonio
Des Moines, IA in full
Insurance-sector wages against the lowest housing costs on this list.
San Antonio, TX in full
Among the cheapest big-city rents in the country, with the highest property tax rate here.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from San Antonio on San Antonio wages.
San Antonio → Des Moines →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in San Antonio than Des Moines?
A one-bedroom is about $1,005 in Des Moines versus $1,052 in San Antonio. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $64 a month lower in San Antonio. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does San Antonio have state income tax?
San Antonio is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Des Moines to San Antonio?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Texas tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.