Question 1

Is Baltimore or San Antonio cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

San Antonio, TX is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $839/month less than in Baltimore, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,857/mo in Baltimore versus $1,426/mo in San Antonio.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Baltimore vs San Antonio?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $91,000/year before tax in Baltimore, MD and $64,000/year in San Antonio, TX — a difference of about $27,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Baltimore or San Antonio cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

San Antonio, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $8,370/month in Baltimore and $6,946/month in San Antonio, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Baltimore or San Antonio?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. San Antonio costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Baltimore50	San Antonio68
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,536	$3,697
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$8,370	$6,946
Salary for comfort	$91,000/yr	$64,000/yr
Typical rent	$1,857	$1,426
Median home value	$219,300	$219,700
Median household income	$59,623	$62,917
Unemployment	5.4%	4.0%
Housing score	48	69
Jobs score	30	59
Safety score	27	35
Climate score	99	96
Amenities score	34	54
Population	577.2K	1.5M
Summer high / winter low	92° / 32°	94° / 40°

Baltimore, MD vs San Antonio, TX