Moving from San Antonio to Houston
Your paycheck buys slightly less in Houston than in San Antonio (-4.0%); you'd need about $83,800 to break even. Compare taxes, rent, home prices and the cost of the move.
Equal salary in Houston: $83,800
Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $83,800 in Houston, TX to match $80,000 in San Antonio, TX ($3,800 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary. Both are in Texas, which has no state income tax on wages; neither city levies a resident income tax.
Prices and housing cover the metro area; taxes use Texas, its principal state. A metro can span several states; living in its other state can change the tax result.
San Antonio vs Houston: key facts
- Median rent
- $1,422 → $1,469/mo
- Median home value
- $304,800 → $327,400
- Median household income
- $78,112 → $81,417
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 94.7 → 98.6
- FEMA county-score mean
- Very high county-score mean (95.8 → 97.6 of 100)
San Antonio vs Houston cost of living
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100).
| Measure | San Antonio, TX | Houston, TX |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 94.7 | 98.6 |
| Median rent | $1,422 | $1,469 |
| Income to rent affordably (30%) | $56,880 | $58,760 |
| Median home value | $304,800 | $327,400 |
| Monthly cost to own (20% down) | $2,208 | $2,368 |
| Income needed to buy | $94,626 | $101,503 |
| Median property tax | $4,303 | $4,750 |
| State income tax on $80,000 | $0 | $0 |
| Metro population | 2,763,006 | 7,796,182 |
Metro-area figures (Census ACS 2024, BEA 2024). The fixed tax rows above use an illustrative single-earner salary of $80,000, rounded from San Antonio's median household income. Household income can include multiple earners; it is not a typical individual wage. Taxes use each metro's principal state.
Your yearly budget: San Antonio vs Houston
This fixed budget example uses $80,000, single filing and residence inside the principal city tax areas. It does not change with the calculator above.
On an $80,000 salary, taxes, gross rent including basic utilities, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $43,091 a year in San Antonio and $43,655 in Houston if you rent: $564 more after the move. If you buy the median home, those selected costs use mortgage, property tax, homeowners insurance and electricity instead of gross rent; they come to $54,573 and $56,499 ($1,926 more).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | San AntonioBefore | HoustonAfter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $80,000, single filer | $14,890 | $14,890 | $0 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,429 | $1,429 | $0 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $1,776 | $1,776 | $0 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $7,932 | $7,932 | $0 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent and basic utilities ACS median gross rent, 12 months | $17,064 | $17,628 | +$564 |
| Total if you rent | $43,091 | $43,655 | +$564 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 7.24% | $19,941 | $21,420 | +$1,479 |
| Property tax median home | $4,303 | $4,750 | +$447 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $2,251 | $2,251 | $0 |
| Electricity state average bill | $2,051 | $2,051 | $0 |
| Total if you buy | $54,573 | $56,499 | +$1,926 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, plus the principal city's resident income tax where it has one, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 metro-area medians. Gross rent includes tenant-paid electricity, gas, water/sewer and fuels; those basic utilities are not added again. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (7.24%, week of October 29, 2026).
State figures for the principal state: EIA 2025 average residential power bill (buyers only), NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on October 29, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $10,894 a year in San Antonio and $10,894 in Houston (Child Care Aware of America, 2025 (2024 fallback for Colorado, Washington, DC and South Carolina) state averages).
Who moves from San Antonio to Houston
About 3,217 households (5,475 people) moved from the San Antonio metro area to the Houston metro area in 2022–2023, making Houston the #2 destination for people leaving San Antonio among the 149 metro areas we cover. 3,591 households moved the other way. Their average adjusted gross income was $70,606.
Cost to move from San Antonio to Houston
| Moving method (2–3 bedrooms) | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) | $320–$660 |
| Moving container | $1,100–$2,070 |
| Full-service movers | $1,840–$4,990 |
Natural hazard risk: San Antonio vs Houston
RelocateMath's population-weighted means of FEMA county risk scores are 95.8 for the San Antonio area and 97.6 for the Houston area, on the county-score scale of 0–100. These means are not official FEMA metro ratings or national metro percentiles. Modeled expected yearly losses from natural hazards average $390 vs $456 per resident; individual properties can differ.
The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).
The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).
Frequently asked questions
Is Houston cheaper than San Antonio?
Overall prices in the Houston area are 4.1% higher than in San Antonio (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,469 vs $1,422 a month, and the median home is $327,400 vs $304,800.
What salary do I need in Houston to match $100,000 in San Antonio?
About $104,600 in a fixed single-filer W-2 example assuming residence inside both principal cities. It accounts for 2026 federal and principal-state taxes, modeled resident local taxes where applicable, and metro prices. Both are in Texas, which has no state income tax on wages. This illustration stays fixed when calculator inputs change.
How much does it cost to move from San Antonio to Houston?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 220 miles: roughly $320–$660 with a rental truck, $1,100–$2,070 with a container, or $1,840–$4,990 with full-service movers.
How many people move from San Antonio to Houston?
IRS county migration data for 2022–2023 show about 3,217 households (5,475 people) moved from the San Antonio metro area to the Houston metro area, and 3,591 moved the other way.
Related
Where people from San Antonio move
- San Antonio to Austin 5,295 households
- San Antonio to Dallas 3,211 households
- Washington, D.C. 655 households
- McAllen 617 households
- Los Angeles 531 households
- El Paso 514 households
- Killeen 510 households
- Seattle 502 households
State-agency links identify the responsible tax office; they do not verify every modeled rule. Use forms and guidance for the year you are filing.