✦ Compare
Philadelphia vs
San Antonio
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Philadelphia, PA vs San Antonio, TX at a glance — San Antonio, TX is 10% cheaper than Philadelphia, PA overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,250/mo versus $1,600/mo. The top national income-tax rate is 37%.
To keep the same standard of living in San Antonio, TX, you'd need
$67,769 / year
San Antonio, TX is 10% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (San Antonio, TX vs Philadelphia, PA)
- Housing-20%
- Food & groceries-5%
- Transport-5%
- Utilities0%
- Healthcare-5%
- Goods & services-5%
Median 1-bed rent
$1,600 /mo
Philadelphia, PA overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$1,250 /mo
San Antonio, TX overview →
◎ How Philadelphia, PA and San Antonio, TX compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Philadelphia, PA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 104 | 94 |
| Housing | 114 | 91 |
| Food | 97 | 92 |
| Transport | 103 | 98 |
| Utilities | 99 | 99 |
| Healthcare | 99 | 94 |
| Goods & services | 99 | 94 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,600/mo | $1,250/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,250/mo | $1,000/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $2,900/mo | $2,200/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $4,500 | $3,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $964 | $1,067 |
| Inexpensive meal | $18 | $15 |
| Monthly transit pass | $96 | $38 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 20% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo✓ | $1,257/mo✓ |
| GDP per capita | $90,027✓ | $90,027✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 50 | 25 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 | UTC-6 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 65 | 58 |
| Safety index | 45 | 55 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 74 |
| Pollution index | 45 | 45 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 79 | 37 |
| Public transport | 68 | 38 |
| Family-friendly | 60 | 64 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $450/mo | $450/mo |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr✓ | 79 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +1 °C | +11 °C |
| July avg | +26 °C | +30 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 207 | 220 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,060 mm | 810 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1.5 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Philadelphia vs San Antonio — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Philadelphia
History, cheesesteaks and East-Coast walkability at a discount to New York, an hour away.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 45/100
- Climate
- ❄ 1°C · ☀ 26°C · 207 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Center City · Fishtown · University City
Good to know before you move to San Antonio
Big, affordable and rich in Tex-Mex culture with no state income tax — hot and car-oriented.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-6
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 55/100
- Climate
- ❄ 11°C · ☀ 30°C · 220 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Pearl · Southtown · Alamo Heights
Plan your move to Philadelphia
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
Sponsored
Plan your move to San Antonio
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Philadelphia to San Antonio: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Philadelphia to San Antonio, your cost of living will be roughly 10% cheaper. San Antonio’s cost-of-living index is 94 versus 104 for Philadelphia (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Philadelphia cheaper than San Antonio?
San Antonio is about 10% cheaper than Philadelphia overall — its cost-of-living index is 94 versus 104 for Philadelphia.
Which is more expensive, Philadelphia or San Antonio?
Philadelphia is more expensive than San Antonio. Its cost-of-living index is 104 vs 94 (US = 100) — about 11% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Philadelphia or San Antonio?
Rent is cheaper in San Antonio — about $1,250/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,600 in Philadelphia.
How much do you need to earn in San Antonio to live like in Philadelphia?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Philadelphia is worth about $67,769 in San Antonio. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Philadelphia or San Antonio?
Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (37%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.
◷ More comparisons from Philadelphia
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.