Cost of Living in El Paso, TX
El Paso, TX — prices, rents and what jobs really pay here after taxes.
Salary comparison calculator
What would you need to earn in El Paso, TX to keep the same lifestyle — after taxes — as in another city?
How expensive is El Paso, TX?
With a price level of 89.9 (U.S. average = 100), El Paso, TX is one of the most affordable places in the country. In detail, housing costs are 29% below average; everyday goods are 6% below average; utilities are 17% below average; other services such as healthcare and dining are 4% below average. The biggest difference from the national average is in housing.
Prices in El Paso, TX vs. the U.S. average
| Category | Index (U.S. = 100) | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 89.9 | −10.1% |
| Housing | 71.2 | −28.8% |
| Goods | 93.8 | −6.2% |
| Utilities | 82.6 | −17.4% |
| Other services | 96.2 | −3.8% |
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Rent in El Paso, TX
| Unit | Monthly rent | Income needed (30% rule) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $820 | $32,800/yr |
| 1 bedroom | $1,012 | $40,480/yr |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,190 | $47,600/yr |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,631 | $65,240/yr |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,997 | $79,880/yr |
HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026, population-weighted across the metro's counties.
Salary needed to live in El Paso, TX
To keep the same standard of living as in an average-priced U.S. city, you would need to earn roughly:
| Salary in an average U.S. city | Equivalent in El Paso, TX | Take-home here |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $36,000 | $31,106 |
| $60,000 | $53,900 | $45,489 |
| $80,000 | $71,900 | $59,412 |
| $100,000 | $89,900 | $72,075 |
| $150,000 | $134,900 | $103,470 |
Scaled by the BEA price level (pre-tax). Take-home: single filer, Texas 2026 taxes. For a tax-aware comparison with a specific city, use the calculator above.
A monthly budget on the median wage
A single worker earning El Paso, TX's median wage of $39,510 takes home about $2,827 a month. A typical one-bedroom rents for $1,012, which is 36% of take-home pay — above the 30% guideline that financial planners suggest. That leaves about $1,815 a month for everything else.
Take-home pay in El Paso, TX
- Federal income tax$2,561
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,450
- Medicare (1.45%)$573
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$33,926
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state
Highest-paying jobs in El Paso, TX
*In U.S.-average dollars after adjusting for local prices.
Pay and living costs in Texas cities
Half of Texas’s 14,071,160 workers earn less than $48,620 a year and half earn more; the middle 50% earn $35,370–$77,840 (BLS, May 2025). Prices vary a lot within the state: Austin, TX stretches a paycheck furthest, while McAllen, TX is the costliest.
| Metro area | Median pay | Price level | 1-BR rent | Rent share | Left after rent / mo | Buying power* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | $51,440 | 103.1 | $1,586 | 44% | $2,040 | $42,208 |
| Houston, TX | $49,410 | 98.6 | $1,316 | 38% | $2,174 | $42,463 |
| Austin, TX | $56,950 | 98.1 | $1,562 | 39% | $2,433 | $48,885 |
| San Antonio, TX | $47,010 | 94.7 | $1,171 | 35% | $2,158 | $42,181 |
| El Paso, TX | $39,510 | 89.9 | $1,012 | 36% | $1,815 | $37,733 |
| McAllen, TX | $35,830 | 85.9 | $847 | 33% | $1,734 | $36,055 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $45,350 | 92.7 | $1,115 | 35% | $2,103 | $41,673 |
| Lubbock, TX | $42,130 | 91.3 | $974 | 32% | $2,029 | $39,458 |
| Beaumont, TX | $48,630 | 90.0 | $898 | 26% | $2,540 | $45,815 |
| Brownsville, TX | $36,490 | 86.0 | $866 | 33% | $1,759 | $36,638 |
| Killeen, TX | $46,660 | 91.1 | $982 | 30% | $2,324 | $43,532 |
| College Station, TX | $44,470 | 91.0 | $1,082 | 34% | $2,077 | $41,684 |
| Waco, TX | $46,020 | 92.5 | $966 | 30% | $2,297 | $42,309 |
| Amarillo, TX | $44,580 | 91.8 | $903 | 29% | $2,264 | $41,385 |
| Midland, TX | $54,480 | 95.8 | $1,449 | 38% | $2,381 | $47,978 |
*Yearly take-home pay (on each metro’s median wage, single filer) in U.S.-average dollars. Price level: BEA RPP 2024 (U.S. = 100). Rent: HUD FY2026 one-bedroom fair market rent.
El Paso, TX vs. similar-size cities
| Metro area | Price level | 1-BR rent | Median wage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso, TX | 89.9 | $1,012 | $39,510 | 339,120 |
| North Port, FL | 102.4 | $1,686 | $47,440 | 339,940 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 100.9 | $1,140 | $47,470 | 338,230 |
| Harrisburg, PA | 98.7 | $1,212 | $49,610 | 335,010 |
| Durham, NC | 97.6 | $1,456 | $60,720 | 344,020 |
| Worcester, MA | 102.5 | $1,558 | $57,830 | 349,880 |
| Oxnard, CA | 110.5 | $2,250 | $52,510 | 323,890 |
Frequently asked questions
Is El Paso, TX expensive to live in?
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, overall prices in the El Paso, TX metro area are 89.9% of the U.S. average, with housing at 71.2%. It is the #291 most expensive of 387 metro areas we track.
What salary do you need to live in El Paso, TX?
To match the buying power of a $60,000 salary in an average-priced U.S. city you would need about $53,947 in El Paso, TX (before tax differences). The median wage across all jobs here is $39,510.
Can you afford El Paso, TX on the median wage?
A single worker on the $39,510 median wage takes home about $2,827 a month after 2026 taxes; a one-bedroom at $1,012 would take 36% of that.
How much is rent in El Paso, TX?
HUD’s FY2026 fair market rents for El Paso, TX are $820 for a studio, $1,012 for one bedroom, $1,190 for two bedrooms and $1,631 for three bedrooms, including utilities.
Top salaries by field in El Paso, TX
Management Occupations
- General and Operations Manager — $77,770
Business and Financial Operations Occupations
- Compliance Officer — $73,920
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations
- Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School — $64,000
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education — $63,800
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education — $62,570
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary — $29,740
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
- Registered Nurse — $86,100
Healthcare Support Occupations
- Home Health and Personal Care Aide — $23,200
Protective Service Occupations
- Security Guard — $29,740
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $30,520
- Cooks, Restaurant — $28,990
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $23,030
- Waiter and Waitress — $21,870
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations
Sales and Related Occupations
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel — $45,200
- First-Line Supervisor of Retail Sales Workers — $36,470
- Retail Salesperson — $27,330
- Cashier — $27,320
Office and Administrative Support Occupations
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $57,930
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks — $41,530
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive — $39,280
- Customer Service Representative — $37,640
- Office Clerks, General — $34,380
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General — $39,510
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver — $49,270
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator — $38,520
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand — $35,550
- Stocker and Order Filler — $34,400