

Chicago vs San Antonio
$409/mo more in San Antonio
ChicagoSan AntonioAbout 1,043 miles apart, a flight.
- San Antonio leaves you more
- No state income tax
- Property tax 1.87%
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,835/mo in San Antonio. $2,426/mo in Chicago. +$4,908 a year.
Chicago
$2,426
left each month
San Antonio
$2,835
+$409 vs Chicago
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 538 households moved Chicago → San Antonio (avg AGI $70,441). 375 went the other way. The whole move →
+$409 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Chicago | San Antonio | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,208 | $7,270 | −$938 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,130 | $1,457 | −$673 |
| Take-home pay | $6,079 | $5,813 | −$265 |
| Rent | $1,782 | $1,049 | −$733 |
| Getting around | $392 | $566 | +$174 |
| Groceries | $408 | $376 | −$32 |
| Healthcare | $459 | $423 | −$36 |
| Utilities | $255 | $235 | −$20 |
| Everything else | $357 | $329 | −$28 |
| Left over | $2,426 | $2,835 | +$409 |
Salary to match Chicago
$80,500
Gross pay in San Antonio that leaves the same amount as $98,500 in Chicago.
Tax difference
+$4,738
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about San Antonio
Chicago, IL in full
World-class city amenities at Midwest home prices, funded by 2.1% property tax.
San Antonio, TX in full
Among the cheapest big-city rents in the country, with the highest property tax rate here.
The other way
Start in San Antonio.
San Antonio → Chicago →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in San Antonio than Chicago?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, San Antonio leaves about $409 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,782 in Chicago and $1,049 in San Antonio.
Does San Antonio have state income tax?
San Antonio is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Chicago to San Antonio?
The paycheck is taxed in Texas. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Chicago and San Antonio changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.