USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Plano, TX vs. San Antonio, TX

Median rent is $1,792 a month in Plano, TX and $1,258 in San Antonio, TX. Household income is $108,649 against $62,917. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.

$
Same standard of living
A salary of $100,000 in Plano, TX buys what $96,452 buys in San Antonio, TX
-$3,548 less to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$1,792 $1,258 -29.8%
Median household income Annual
$108,649 $62,917 -42.1%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$440,600 $219,700 -50.1%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
19.8% 24.0% 4.2 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
97.2 93.7 -3.6%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$71,700 $50,300 -29.8%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$2,716 $1,573 -42.1%
Population City proper
287,339 1,458,954 +407.7%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Plano
$100,000 $96,452 -3.5%

A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.

What the gap means

Lower rent
$1,258
San Antonio, TX · 42.4% below Plano, TX
Higher household income
$108,649
Plano, TX · 72.7% above San Antonio, TX
Same standard of living
$96,452
$100,000 in Plano, TX needs $96,452 in San Antonio, TX
Price level gap
3.4 points
97.2 in TX against 93.7 in TX
Rent burden gap
4.2 points
San Antonio, TX versus Plano, TX, share of income taken by rent
Highest buying power
106.7%
San Antonio, TX · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

Plano, TX vs San Antonio, TX: frequently asked questions

Is San Antonio, TX more expensive than Plano, TX?

No. Prices in San Antonio, TX are about 3.5% lower than in Plano, TX: a regional price level of 93.7 against 97.2, where the U.S. average is 100.

How much do I need to earn in San Antonio, TX to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Plano, TX?

About $96,500. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (97.2 in Plano, TX, 93.7 in San Antonio, TX) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.

Is rent cheaper in Plano, TX or San Antonio, TX?

The median gross rent is $1,792 a month in Plano, TX and $1,258 in San Antonio, TX, a difference of $534 a month or $6,408 a year.

Where are household incomes higher, Plano, TX or San Antonio, TX?

The median household income is $108,649 in Plano, TX and $62,917 in San Antonio, TX. Rent takes 19.8% of the median income in Plano, TX and 24.0% in San Antonio, TX.

What salary do I need to afford the median rent in San Antonio, TX?

About $50,300 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $1,258 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $71,700 in Plano, TX.

More comparisons with Plano, TX

More comparisons with San Antonio, TX

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Definitions used on this page

Salary needed for the median rent
Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
Price level
BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
Same standard of living
A salary in Plano, TX converted into San Antonio, TX at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
Buying power
One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.

Sources

Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.

Full detail for each city: Plano, TX · San Antonio, TX