City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ames | San Antonio | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $1,189/mo | 15.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $198,000 | 25.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $59,593 | 3.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 95.2 | 0.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.6 | 86.0 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 97.5 | 3.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 95.8 | 1.1% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ames, you'd need $112,234 in San Antonio to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ames, IA is about 10.9% cheaper overall than San Antonio, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Ames than in San Antonio. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $89,788 in San Antonio to keep the same standard of living.