Question 1

Is Detroit or San Antonio cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

San Antonio, TX is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $352/month less than in Detroit, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,411/mo in Detroit versus $1,426/mo in San Antonio.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Detroit vs San Antonio?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $78,000/year before tax in Detroit, MI and $64,000/year in San Antonio, TX — a difference of about $14,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Detroit 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 $7,360/month in Detroit 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 Detroit 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	Detroit59	San Antonio68
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,049	$3,697
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$7,360	$6,946
Salary for comfort	$78,000/yr	$64,000/yr
Typical rent	$1,411	$1,426
Median home value	$76,800	$219,700
Median household income	$39,575	$62,917
Unemployment	10.7%	4.0%
Housing score	62	69
Jobs score	37	59
Safety score	18	35
Climate score	87	96
Amenities score	82	54
Population	636.6K	1.5M
Summer high / winter low	83° / 20°	94° / 40°

Detroit, MI vs San Antonio, TX