Median rent is 19% lower in San Antonio ($1,324/mo vs $1,641/mo). Buying is cheaper in San Antonio, where the median home runs $235,700 versus $270,800. Households earn more in Garland ($76,320 vs $65,056 a year).
City A
Garland, TX
City B
San Antonio, TX
How much would you need to earn in San Antonio, TX to maintain your standard of living from Garland, TX?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Garland
Texas
San Antonio
Texas
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in San Antonio at $1,324/mo compared to $1,641/mo in Garland (19% gap). Median home values are within 13% of each other: $270,800 in Garland and $235,700 in San Antonio.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Garland
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
San Antonio
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Garland has cleaner air on average: 55.0 AQI (Moderate) compared to 71.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Garland if you prioritize higher median household income ($76,320/yr).
Pick San Antonio if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,324/mo median).
Pick Garland if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 55.0).
Is Garland cheaper than San Antonio?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Garland vs San Antonio?
Median rent is $1,641/mo in Garland, TX and $1,324/mo in San Antonio, TX. San Antonio, TX has the lower rent by about 19%.
Which has higher salaries — Garland or San Antonio?
Median household income is $76,320 in Garland, TX and $65,056 in San Antonio, TX. Garland, TX has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Garland, TX has better air quality on average: 55.0 AQI versus 71.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Garland or San Antonio?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in San Antonio to match my Garland income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
