Columbus → San Antonio-New Braunfels
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Pros of Moving
- + $332/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Better student-teacher ratios
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - $2K lower median salary
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - More environmental violations
Moving from Columbus to San Antonio-New Braunfels shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 95.5 to 94.7 (100 = US average), so a Columbus salary needs to be multiplied by 0.99 to hold the same purchasing power in San Antonio-New Braunfels. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,430/month in Columbus to $1,098/month in San Antonio-New Braunfels - a lower monthly bill of $332, or $3,984/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.
Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $70,997 in Columbus versus $68,933 in San Antonio-New Braunfels - a raw gap of $2,064 lower. The San Antonio-New Braunfels labor market has 1,113,320 tracked jobs against 1,092,320 in Columbus, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.
Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Columbus and San Antonio-New Braunfels are 293 and 395 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 18.2:1 at origin versus 14.7:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $11,791/year in Columbus versus $7,566/year in San Antonio-New Braunfels. Our composite verdict - Neutral — Depends on Priorities - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Columbus to see what you'd need to earn in San Antonio-New Braunfels to maintain the same purchasing power.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Antonio-New Braunfels more expensive than Columbus?
What are salaries like in San Antonio-New Braunfels compared to Columbus?
Is San Antonio-New Braunfels safer than Columbus?
How much would I need to earn in San Antonio-New Braunfels to match my Columbus salary?
What does the "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" verdict mean?
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Data Sources
- Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
- Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
- Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
- Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.