US flag
Denver

United States

vs
US flag
San Antonio

United States

Climate

Denver logs 142 frost days a year to San Antonio's 5 — San Antonio wins by 137. Denver also leads on hot days by 107.

DenverSan Antonio
Sunny days
298244
Hot days
62169
Frost days
1425
Rain days
5798
Snow days
331
Outdoor dinner months
4/125/12
Avg wind
2.2 m/s3.0 m/s
Sunshine hours
3,1212,640
Darkest month sun
187 hrs/mo153 hrs/mo
UV peak month
9.910.1

Denver

Feels-like °C

-6
-4
6
11
17
26
29
28
24
13
1
-4

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

San Antonio

Feels-like °C

13
13
19
22
29
34
35
36
33
25
17
15

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

San Antonio is $676/mo cheaper

Denver runs about $3,831/mo for a balanced lifestyle against San Antonio's $3,155/mo — San Antonio comes in $676 cheaper each month, roughly 21% less.

Denver

$3,831

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,998Comfort $5,859
Top 78%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

San Antonio

$3,155

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,400Comfort $4,823
Cheaper than 67%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

Denver and San Antonio score neck-and-neck on mobility (2.4 vs 2.2, 0–5 scale).

2.4/5
vs
2.2/5
DenverSan Antonio
CyclingCar EfficiencyFlights
Car EfficiencyMotorbikeAirport
Denver leads

Culture

Denver's culture score of 3.7 sits well above San Antonio's 3.4, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

3.7/5
vs
3.4/5
DenverSan Antonio
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
HistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Denver leads

Nature & Outdoors

Denver's nature & outdoors score of 4.5 sits well above San Antonio's 3.0, with the biggest gap on skiing & snowboarding. San Antonio still holds an edge on beach lifestyle.

4.5/5
vs
3.0/5
DenverSan Antonio
MountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingSkiingClimbing
ForestGreen AreasRunningCamping
Denver leads

Safety

Denver's safety score is ~1.3× San Antonio's — in the middle of the scale, while San Antonio lands below average, with the biggest gap on flooding safety. San Antonio still holds an edge on wildfire safety.

2.9/5
vs
2.2/5
DenverSan Antonio
Property CrimeWildfire
Property CrimeRoadFlooding
Denver leads

Career

Denver's career score of 3.9 sits well above San Antonio's 2.9, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

3.9/5
vs
2.9/5
DenverSan Antonio
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyCoworking
Denver leads

Social & Community

Denver and San Antonio score neck-and-neck on social & community (3.8 vs 3.7, 0–5 scale).

3.8/5
vs
3.7/5
DenverSan Antonio
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityAdmin English Support
Denver leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Denver scores 4.0 vs San Antonio's 3.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on vegan & vegetarian options.

4.0/5
vs
3.0/5
DenverSan Antonio
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchDelivery
Denver leads

Family

On family, Denver scores 3.9 vs San Antonio's 2.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools.

3.9/5
vs
2.6/5
DenverSan Antonio
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
UniversitiesGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Denver leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Denver scores 2.8 vs San Antonio's 2.1 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

2.8/5
vs
2.1/5
DenverSan Antonio
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare
Denver leads

Air Quality

Denver averages 6.8 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus San Antonio's 9.2 µg/m³ (good) — Denver breathes ~26% cleaner air (2.4 µg/m³ lower).

Denver

San Antonio

6.8µg/m³
9.2µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Denver (2.4M) and San Antonio (1.5M) are 1.6x in population — Denver is the larger metro, San Antonio the smaller; on land area Denver spans roughly 1.9x more ground.

1.7x

Denver is roughly 1.7x the scale of San Antonio

Combined population & area comparison

US flagDenver
1.7x
US flagSan Antonio
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagDenver2.4M1.6x
2.US flagSan Antonio1.5M1x
Area
1.US flagDenver1,194 km²1.9x
2.US flagSan Antonio640 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
42 km50 km

US flagDenver

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
42 km31 km

US flagSan Antonio

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Denver vs San Antonio

Which is cheaper, Denver or San Antonio?
San Antonio is approximately $676 per month cheaper. Denver averages $3,831/mo while San Antonio averages $3,155/mo.
How does the climate compare between Denver and San Antonio?
Sunny days: 298 vs 244 d — Denver higher Annual sunshine: 3,121 vs 2,640 hrs — Denver higher Winter sunshine: 187 vs 153 hrs/day — Denver higher Hot days (>30°C): 62 vs 169 d — Denver lower Frost days: 142 vs 5 d — San Antonio lower Rainy days: 57 vs 98 d — Denver lower Snowy days: 33 vs 1 d — San Antonio lower
Is Denver or San Antonio safer?
Denver scores higher on safety. Denver rates 2.9/5 while San Antonio rates 2.2/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Denver or San Antonio?
Denver and San Antonio are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. San Antonio is generally more affordable, while Denver may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Denver and San Antonio stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

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