San Antonio is the best location to move to since it is easy to find work here; it has a more outstanding quality of life, no state income, and an international education system. On the other hand, Albuquerque is great for outdoor recreation, but seeking a job is tricky.
San Antonio is one of the most extensive towns in Texas where the cost of living is highly reasonable, and you can find a job more straightforward than in any other city, so it brings a good quality of life for its people. The place also provides better things to its society with no state income tax and that the education is world-class.
San Antonio, Texas, has a friendly neighborhood, and the city is ideal to start your own family. On the other hand, Albuquerque also offers a low cost of living and great outdoor recreation for everyone to stay fit and healthy; however, you will struggle to seek a good job that fits your career.
Both cities can provide lower living expenses; however, San Antonio surpasses ABQ for having better career growth and income-related talks. It is innovative thinking to make a better comparison to dig deep into what the two places offer.
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What Are the Pros and Cons of Albuquerque Versus San Antonio?
Albuquerque is a healthy city; it has good wineries and will make you pay enough living expenses, but finding a superior job will be complicated. San Antonio has a sports franchise, a high-quality primary education, and a lower cost of living, but be conscious of infrequent housing problems in the metro area.
Living in Albuquerque vs. San Antonio brings draws and downsides so that a good comparison will break the thin line of your dilemma.
Living in Albuquerque
Pros
- ABQ Is a Fit and Healthy City
- ABQ Has Good Wineries
- Low Living Expense
- A Developing Movie Business
According to facts and figures, Albuquerque has been one of the fittest cities in all of America in recent years. In addition, ABQ ranks high in many survey results of the healthiest cities. This standing is coherent because the area offers a good destination for outdoor pursuits that improve physical aspects.
Every Sunday, Sydney Fontaine Forestal conducts a free-flowing yoga class. You can have margaritas delivered right to your mat while relaxing in a good way. Also, outdoor recreation like cycling and walking is ideal in Albuquerque because it has many simples to challenging trails that you can try.
Albuquerque is home to several modest vineyards like Casa Rondeau, including pilates and wine classes each week. Sheehan Winery Tasting Room in Old Town, directly across from the town center, enables residents and visitors who travel this area to taste and explore a brilliantly fabulous local winery.
Other fantastic places are Acequia Vineyards and Winery, Vara Winery and Distillery, Pasado Tiempo Winery and Vineyards, and Noisy Water Winery.
Albuquerque offers a lower living expense when compared to other similar places of its category. The overall average index of its cost of living is 91.1% which is still behind the national average. Median homes in the city are also affordable.
It is ideal to buy a modest home because of the lower real estate taxes and state income tax. Even though finding work can be difficult, it is still advantageous to live here due to the low tax payments and favorable commodity prices.
Albuquerque has become an increasing hub for directors and producers thanks to its abundance of sunshine hours, humid weather, and tax breaks. TV viewers may acknowledge Albuquerque’s adobe homes and the Sandia Mountains from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, The Avengers, and Independence Day: Resurgence is all videotaped in the city.
Cons
- Finding A Job Is Tricky
- Crime Ranking is Terrible
Albuquerque has a good economy in the making, yet finding a job that your career fits in might give you a hard time. The city has a limited industry like Information Technology. There are less of a variety of big offices in the metropolitan.
The unemployment rate of ABQ is almost 7.4% beating the national average of only 6%. Job hunters are likely to be frustrated in searching for exemplary work for them. When finding the right job is difficult, to fill vacancies. Most professionals seek better opportunities outside the area’s premises because of the low salary issue, especially in the food and servicing industry.
Albuquerque ranks in one of the most dangerous places in the state. The city exceeds the national average on its violent and property crime rate. This ranking is not ideal for its citizens and may even lose some potential business ventures in the area.
However, the concentrated parts of ABQ, which acquire a high crime percentage, are mainly in the suburban regions. If you want to have a safe neighborhood in town, you can go to communities in Heritage East, Vista Del Mundo, Tanoan East, Skyview Acres, and North Valley, to name a few.
Living in San Antonio
Pros
- San Antonio Has a Good Sports Franchise
- Jobs in San Antonio Are Readily Available
- Cost of Living is Reasonable
- Premium Education in San Antonio
One of the reasons San Antonio is quite popular worldwide is its NBA Champion team, the San Antonio Spurs. Never miss the San Antonio Missions game, the city’s minor league baseball team.
The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo draw a large crowd in February every year. You can join the millions of watchers who flock to rodeos and other events.
San Antonio’s unemployment percentages are lower than the national and even the state norms. Industrial production, renewable energy, bioscience, universal health care, and education are among the industries of note in this booming metropolis.
Moreover, San Antonio’s status as a tourist destination generates thousands of additional travel and recreation jobs in the city. It is easier for new graduates to land a decent job because of its more extensive industry.
San Antonio keeps its living costs reasonable for all residents. Its proportion of total living costs is lower than the national average. Ordinary expenses are cheap property prices and the absence of a state income tax.
You can purchase a decent house around the area for as low as $176,000. Even if home prices rise over time, the median of its real estate market remains below the national average and is less expensive compared to other larger metropolitan areas.
San Antonio will bring you an excellent and internationally-acclaimed educational system. Northside ISD, one of San Antonio’s premier school districts, provides students with a Two-Way Dual Language Immersion program that encourages bilingual and bicultural learning in English and Spanish.
In addition, there are private institutions and public schools in surrounding suburbs that provide families with options to fit their needs.
San Antonio has over 29 universities and colleges, which educate more than 100,000 students each year. The University of Texas, located in San Antonio, is one of the more affordable collegiate options with a high-quality learning system and Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
Cons
- At Times, There May Be a Housing Shortage
- San Antonio’s Public Transportation System Is Not Well-Established
San Antonio is a place of residence to one of the country’s most significant military bases, aptly named Joint Base San Antonio because it serves numerous branches. There is a substantial impact on the housing when there is a changeover at the base.
The government prioritizes military personnel in obtaining a residence permit in the town where they will be working. You can still take the edge of the prospect by marketing your home, and it will attract alert buyers.
Living in San Antonio may be difficult if you anticipate the city having a metro system because it doesn’t. The bus system, which includes a downtown streetcar and 89 bus lines, is the primary mode of transportation.
There is also a bike-sharing program called B Cycle, which has software for you to use, but many residents find that buying their private vehicles is cheaper when living in the city. After all, the local gas price per gallon is low.
Albuquerque Or San Antonio – Which Is Cheaper?
Living in San Antonio will make you pay 1.5% less than in Albuquerque. Housing in San Antonio is 13.8 % less costly than in Albuquerque. However, in terms of healthcare costs, ABQ is less pricey.
San Antonio has cheaper deals in most basic living costs compared to Albuquerque. Both cities fall below the national average, which is a good sign that living in two towns will save you some bucks.
Comparison Table of Living in Albuquerque, New Mexico vs. San Antonio, Texas
| Living Expenses | Albuquerque, New Mexico | San Antonio, Texas |
| Housing and Rent | 88% | 75.9% |
| Utilities | 97.2% | 94.9% |
| Food And Groceries | 96% | 91.4% |
| Transportation | 89.4% | 99.3% |
| Health | 81.1% | 93.3% |
| Miscellaneous | 97.1% | 96.3% |
Based on the Data of which 100 = U.S. National Average
>100 means more expensive
<100 means cheaper than the U.S. average
Housing and Rent Costs
Homes in San Antonio will cost you only $174,400 compared to $203,500 in ABQ. This 13.8% difference in pricing makes San Antonio an ideal place to purchase your home.
When compared to San Antonio, leasing fees in ABQ are lower. A simple studio apartment lease in ABQ will cost you $630, while it will charge you $768 in San Antonio.
Utility Costs
San Antonio offers cheaper expenses than other cities. Living in San Antonio will charge you $178.72 for your basic utility expense, while ABQ will make you pay $232 for the same amenities such as water, energy, internet, and garbage collection.
Food and Groceries Costs
Meals and basic groceries in San Antonio are lesser compared to Albuquerque. The difference between the two cities is almost 4.6%. You can have a decent meal in San Antonio for $13 while it costs just around $15 in ABQ for the same deal.
The monthly recommended minimum quantity of funds for meals per individual in San Antonio is $275.5, while it costs $307.62 in Albuquerque.
Transportation Costs
Albuquerque will make you pay less in their public bus ride for just $1 per day trip than in San Antonio, where the same experience costs $1.30 to $2.60. San Antonio does not have a metro rail approach, so bus fares are pricey.
However, both cities offer a free ride at an occasional and specific time and day within their downtown area.
Health Care Costs
Albuquerque’s healthcare system costs just under San Antonio’s, although both percentages, 81.1 % in ABQ and 93.3 % in San Antonio, are lower than the national average.
The State of Texas, where San Antonio sits, increases some of its medical costs per case following federal laws by 6%. The high-end and quality medical facilities in San Antonio make it costly to get therapeutic attention compared to ABQ.
Taxes
The sales tax in San Antonio is 8.250 %, which is slightly higher than the 7.88% rate in Albuquerque. Even though San Antonio does not collect income tax, it does obtain a higher percentage of local property and sales taxes from its citizens.
Is Albuquerque Safer Than San Antonio?
San Antonio is a safer place to live than Albuquerque. San Antonio has a total record of 11,252 violent crimes in 2020. In contrast, ABQ recorded a whopping 15 262 violent crime cases in the same year, where both data came from the FBI.
With over 5,000 offenses perpetrated, Quigley Park in Albuquerque has the most documented crimes. These include both violent and property criminal acts in the area. Wheatley Heights, a crime-ridden neighborhood in San Antonio, has nearly 3,480 crimes.
Even though San Antonio has a higher crime rate than the national average, the area is still more pleasant than ABQ.
Is Albuquerque Bigger Than San Antonio?
San Antonio is 484.6 square miles wider than Albuquerque, while the latter is only 187.2. The town’s population is approximately 1,567,118, which is rough twice that of ABQ’s community of 562,540.
San Antonio ranks 7th in the most populated metropolis in the United States, and the place sits atop the Balcones Escarpment. The area is significantly larger than ABQ. It is approximately 662 feet above sea level.
Population density statistics also show that San Antonio is denser with a population density of 3,233.8 square miles than ABQ’s 3,004.7.
Is Albuquerque Warmer Than San Antonio?
San Antonio has humid subtropical weather with scorching, lengthy, and humid summers, especially during July and August, making it slightly warmer than Albuquerque. ABQ has a semi-arid climate where it is barely hot.
Albuquerque does have a dry climate and is generally warm during the summer. The average heightened temperature in San Antonio during the warm months is 95 degrees Fahrenheit. On September 5, 2000, the highest hottest temperature was 111 °F (44 °C).
However, because of the town’s higher altitude, cold temperatures in the winter frequently fall below freezing. Average temperature variance is due to the cities and surrounding areas.
Is Albuquerque Better Than San Antonio?
Living in San Antonio improves your standard of living because of the low living expenses and the abundance of employment options. The city also has a sound education system and a pleasant atmosphere with lower crime rates. Albuquerque still is an excellent place to live because of the expected standard of living, and it can inspire you to stay healthy and fit.
San Antonio, Texas, is a better community to live in if you want to pay a low living expense but want to land a job immediately. The place has a good neighborhood many cultural sites and is a vibrant and progressive place for work and leisure.
San Antonio will make you feel at home most of the time. The same is true with living in Albuquerque, where it offers low living expenses and great outdoor activities for everyone. However, ABQ has multiple unsafe neighborhoods in the crime percentage, and you cannot easily have a job if you pursue another industry aside from IT.
Both metropolitan have a shared commonality, but there are numerous perks that San Antonio, Texas, has to offer than ABQ.
Are you considering moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, or San Antonio, Texas? Let me know your thoughts and concerns below.