New Braunfels vs San Antonio: cost of living, rent and taxes

Housing costs more in New Braunfels: the 2024 Census median rent was $1,682 against $1,389 in San Antonio (+21%), and the median home value $364,500 against $260,900 (+40%).

New Braunfels households also earn 36% more, so a typical renter there spends a smaller share of income on rent, and its property-tax rates are lower on the Comal County side. No government cost-of-living index separates the two cities.

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The limestone Comal County Courthouse with its central bell tower and arched porch in downtown New Braunfels, Texas, framed by large trees

The Comal County Courthouse in downtown New Braunfels, July 2017. Most of New Braunfels is in Comal County; part extends into Guadalupe County.

Photograph: Michael Barera, 2017. Original on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP.

New Braunfels and San Antonio side by side

Census ACS 2024 one-year estimates, city figures
Median gross rent (monthly)New Braunfels$1,682 ±$91San Antonio$1,389 ±$25Difference+21%
Median home valueNew Braunfels$364,500 ±$14,335San Antonio$260,900 ±$5,385Difference+40%
Median household incomeNew Braunfels$90,284 ±$11,366San Antonio$66,176 ±$1,375Difference+36%
Median rent as share of median incomeNew Braunfels22.4%San Antonio25.2%Differenceour arithmetic
Households rentingNew Braunfels36.1%San Antonio48.1%Difference
Sources: Census ACS 2024 one-year, tables B25064, B25077, B19013 and B25003. Gross rent includes utilities and counts all renters, so new leases usually cost more. The 2025 estimates come out on October 29, 2026 (schedule).
Median monthly rent and the monthly income behind it

Same Census 2024 figures as the table; monthly income is the annual median divided by 12.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the whole San Antonio–New Braunfels metro at 94.7% of the US price level in 2024, with rents at 94.6% and utilities at 82.2% (regional price parities). It does not publish separate figures for the two cities. Private cost-of-living scores for New Braunfels disagree widely, from below to above the national average, and most do not publish their methods.

Property and sales tax

2025 combined property tax rate per $100 of value, before exemptions
New Braunfels (Comal County side), New Braunfels ISDNon-school units0.7140School district1.0377Total1.7517
San Antonio, Northside ISDNon-school units1.2853School district1.0049Total2.2902
Sources: Comal County 2025 tax rates for all taxing units (county, lateral road, city, ISD) and Bexar County Tax Office 2025 rates (road and flood, Alamo Colleges, University Health, county, San Antonio River Authority, city, ISD). Emergency-services and utility districts, and the Guadalupe County part of New Braunfels, are not included. San Antonio ISD is 1.1552 and North East ISD 0.9822.
Yearly property tax on a hypothetical $350,000 home
Homeowner (with $140,000 school homestead exemption)New Braunfels$4,678San Antonio$6,609
Landlord or second home (no homestead exemption)New Braunfels$6,131San Antonio$8,016
Our arithmetic. The school exemption is required by Tax Code §11.13(b) (Texas Comptroller); local optional, over-65 and disability exemptions are left out, and appraised values differ from sale prices.

Sales tax: the City of New Braunfels lists a total rate of 8.25% (6.25% state, 1.5% city, 0.5% Comal County; city tax page). Check a San Antonio address in the Comptroller’s rate locator.

Rent vs buy in each city

County index references used by each city’s rent vs buy calculator
Typical home value (Zillow, August 2026)New Braunfels (Comal County)$430,990San Antonio (Bexar County)$253,814
Typical asking rent (Zillow, August 2026)New Braunfels (Comal County)$1,562San Antonio (Bexar County)$1,396
County indexes, not city medians (Zillow ZHVI and ZORI). They differ from the Census city figures above because they cover different homes and periods.

Run both: New Braunfels rent vs buy calculator and San Antonio rent vs buy calculator. In New Braunfels, check the floodplain before you buy: the city applies a substantial-improvement rule to floodplain properties (New Braunfels flood information).

Section 8 rents by ZIP

HUD Small Area fair market rents, 2 bedrooms, FY2027 (San Antonio–New Braunfels HUD Metro FMR Area)
78130AreaNew Braunfels2-bedroom FMR$1,680
78132AreaNew Braunfels2-bedroom FMR$1,720
78163AreaBulverde2-bedroom FMR$1,730
78201AreaSan Antonio2-bedroom FMR$1,290
78230AreaSan Antonio2-bedroom FMR$1,550
78258AreaSan Antonio2-bedroom FMR$1,830
Source: HUD Small Area FMRs, effective October 1, 2026. HUD requires ZIP-level FMRs in this metro; the metro-wide two-bedroom figure is $1,441. Housing authorities set their own payment standards from these.

More Texas comparisons: Texas rent vs buy directory and Austin vs San Antonio.

New Braunfels vs San Antonio: common questions

Is it cheaper to live in New Braunfels or San Antonio?

San Antonio is cheaper for housing. The Census Bureau’s 2024 median gross rent was $1,682 in New Braunfels and $1,389 in San Antonio, and the median home value $364,500 against $260,900. New Braunfels households also earn more, a $90,284 median against $66,176, so rent takes a smaller share of a typical income there.

What is the cost of living in New Braunfels, Texas?

No government index measures New Braunfels alone. The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the San Antonio–New Braunfels metro at 94.7% of the national price level in 2024, with rents at 94.6%. Within the metro, New Braunfels housing costs more: a $1,682 median rent and $364,500 median home value in 2024.

Are property taxes higher in New Braunfels or San Antonio?

Rates are lower on the Comal County side of New Braunfels. The 2025 combined rate for New Braunfels with New Braunfels ISD is about $1.75 per $100 of value, against about $2.29 in San Antonio with Northside ISD, before exemptions. On a hypothetical $350,000 homestead that is about $4,678 a year against $6,609.

What is the sales tax in New Braunfels?

The City of New Braunfels lists a total sales tax rate of 8.25%: 6.25% state, 1.5% city and 0.5% Comal County. Check any address, including in San Antonio, with the Texas Comptroller’s sales tax rate locator.

Does Section 8 pay more in New Braunfels than San Antonio?

HUD sets ZIP-level fair market rents in this metro. For fiscal 2027 the two-bedroom figure is $1,680 in New Braunfels ZIP 78130 and $1,720 in 78132, against $1,290 in San Antonio ZIP 78201 and $1,830 in 78258. Each housing authority adopts its own payment standards from these.