If your top priority is affordable real estate and maximizing your initial investment in a home, then San Antonio represents a better purchase. However, if you value great bars and restaurants, great schools and a thriving job market more highly, Austin may be the right place for you. Austin has a longer list of notable local restaurants than San Antonio. More literally compared, Austin is one of the healthiest, richest, best-educated, expensive, and most progressive cities in Texas.
Meanwhile, San Antonio is one of the least healthy, poorest, most affordable and most conservative cities in Texas. One has a city center defined largely by glass and steel; the other has limestone and stucco buildings in the colonial Renaissance style. The temperature in Austin is typically 22°C (71°F) in April, and San Antonio stays around 74°F (23°C). While it doesn't have as high a profile compared to Austin in terms of corporate presence, San Antonio maintains a healthy business environment through low taxes and investments in infrastructure.
While San Antonio residents enjoy a lower cost of living, Austin residents are experiencing lower unemployment and more significant job growth. In addition, many visitors come to San Antonio in summer to enjoy the music scene and experiences for the whole family. Austin gets 3 inches (77 mm) of rain, while San Antonio gets 3.3 inches (83 mm) of rain this time of year. There are also Six Flags, SeaWorld and the San Antonio Zoo, as well as several museums and other amusement parks in the area.
Austin gets 1.9 inches (48 mm) of rain, while San Antonio gets 1.8 inches (45 mm) of rain each month during the winter. Perhaps just as historically important, The Menger Bar in San Antonio is located in the 162-year-old Menger Hotel. Go shopping in La Cantera or dedicate the day to children's fun at amusement parks such as Six Flags Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld San Antonio. San Antonio has a lot of traffic centered on the city center that expands to more open areas around the suburbs.
Despite relatively long trips, there are suburbs near metropolitan areas that can reduce travel time for residents of Austin and San Antonio. The temperature in Austin is typically 87° F (30° C) in July, and San Antonio stays around 87° F (31° C). San Antonio is slightly longer than Austin, so the aesthetic of the apartments has much more character, especially in areas with a little more walkability. The ideal duration for a trip to Austin is 2 to 3 days, and the ideal duration for a trip to San Antonio is 2 to 3 days.
