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 | Des Moines | San Antonio | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $1,189/mo | 16.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $170,700 | $198,000 | 13.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $62,378 | $59,593 | 4.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 96.3 | 98.7 | 2.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 91.7 | 94.8 | 3.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 96.9 | 100.5 | 3.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 94.8 | 4.5% higher 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 Des Moines, you'd need $119,498 in San Antonio to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Des Moines, IA is about 16.3% cheaper overall than San Antonio, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 16% lower in Des Moines than in San Antonio. If you earn $80,000 in Des Moines, you'd need about $95,598 in San Antonio to keep the same standard of living.