

Houston vs San Antonio
$334/mo less in San Antonio
HoustonSan AntonioAbout 198 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- San Antonio costs you more
- No state income tax
- Property tax 1.87%
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,826/mo in San Antonio. $3,160/mo in Houston. −$4,008 a year.
Houston
$3,160
left each month
San Antonio
$2,826
−$334 vs Houston
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 3,591 households moved Houston → San Antonio (avg AGI $83,821). 3,217 went the other way. The whole move →
−$334 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Houston | San Antonio | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,958 | $7,256 | −$702 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,661 | $1,453 | −$208 |
| Take-home pay | $6,298 | $5,804 | −$494 |
| Rent | $1,188 | $1,049 | −$139 |
| Getting around | $572 | $566 | −$6 |
| Groceries | $380 | $376 | −$4 |
| Healthcare | $428 | $423 | −$5 |
| Utilities | $238 | $235 | −$3 |
| Everything else | $333 | $329 | −$4 |
| Left over | $3,160 | $2,826 | −$334 |
Salary to match Houston
$93,000
Gross pay in San Antonio that leaves the same amount as $95,500 in Houston.
Tax difference
$0
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about San Antonio
Houston, TX in full
The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.
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 → Houston →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in San Antonio than Houston?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, San Antonio leaves about $334 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,188 in Houston 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 Houston 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 Houston 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.