Head to head
Austin, TX vs San Antonio, TX
Austin is cheaper — estimated essentials for a single person run about $323/mo less, and living comfortably there takes roughly $6,000 less in annual salary (taxes included).
It flips for a family. For two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child, San Antonio is the cheaper of the two — rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and childcare varies even more sharply between cities than rent does.
| Metric | Austin75 | San Antonio65 |
|---|---|---|
| Est. monthly cost (single) | $3,505 | $3,828 |
| Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare) | $8,996 | $8,835 |
| Salary for comfort | $60,000/yr | $66,000/yr |
| Typical rent | $1,095 | $1,426 |
| Median home value | $512,700 | $219,700 |
| Median household income | $91,461 | $62,917 |
| Unemployment | 3.9% | 4.7% |
| Housing score | 58 | 67 |
| Jobs score | 76 | 43 |
| Safety score | 58 | 35 |
| Climate score | 92 | 94 |
| Amenities score | 64 | 54 |
| Population | 967.9K | 1.5M |
| Summer high / winter low | 96° / 42° | 95° / 41° |
Fit scores use the reference profile (single, $6,700/mo gross, default weights). Green marks the better value per row.
Austin, TX
San Antonio, TX