Question 1

Is Raleigh or San Antonio cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

San Antonio, TX is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $340/month less than in Raleigh, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,750/mo in Raleigh versus $1,426/mo in San Antonio.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Raleigh vs San Antonio?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $74,500/year before tax in Raleigh, NC and $64,000/year in San Antonio, TX — a difference of about $10,500. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Raleigh 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 $7,682/month in Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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	Raleigh75	San Antonio68
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,037	$3,697
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$7,682	$6,946
Salary for comfort	$74,500/yr	$64,000/yr
Typical rent	$1,750	$1,426
Median home value	$377,800	$219,700
Median household income	$82,424	$62,917
Unemployment	3.1%	4.0%
Housing score	58	69
Jobs score	84	59
Safety score	59	35
Climate score	100	96
Amenities score	62	54
Population	470.8K	1.5M
Summer high / winter low	90° / 30°	94° / 40°

Raleigh, NC vs San Antonio, TX