Cost of Living in El Paso, TX
El Paso's cost of living index is 85 — making it 17.6% more affordable than the US national average. To maintain your current standard of living here, you would need to earn $85,000 for every $100,000 of national-average income.
The El Paso Tax & Cost Impact
Texas has no state income tax on wages, so more of a paycheck in El Paso stays with you than in a state that taxes income. Federal income tax and FICA still apply.
Decision Matrix
- ✓Housing: Housing is a value-play compared to national tiers.
- ✓Savings Rate: To save $2,000/mo here, you need a gross household income of ~$71,400.
COL Index
85
100 = national avg
Monthly Budget
$4,250
vs $5,000 national
Population
0.7M
Metro area
State Tax
None
Texas
Monthly Cost Breakdown
Estimated monthly costs in El Paso vs national average for a typical household.
| Category | National Avg | El Paso | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $1,650 | $1,279 | -$371 |
| Groceries | $650 | $572 | -$78 |
| Transportation | $800 | $692 | -$108 |
| Healthcare | $400 | $358 | -$42 |
| Utilities | $300 | $255 | -$45 |
| Other | $1,200 | $1,056 | -$144 |
| Total | $5,000 | $4,250 | -$750 |
Estimated Budget: Single vs. Family of Four
Estimates from LifeCalc's model, not surveyed prices. We treat the $5,000 national baseline as a family-of-four budget, scale each category by El Paso's index (housing moves 1.5x as much as the index, groceries 0.8x, and so on), then apply assumed single-adult shares per category (housing 65%, groceries 30%, transportation 55%, healthcare 30%, utilities 60%, other 45%).
| Category | Single adult / mo | Family of four / mo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $831 | $1,279 |
| Groceries | $172 | $572 |
| Transportation | $381 | $692 |
| Healthcare | $107 | $358 |
| Utilities | $153 | $255 |
| Other | $475 | $1,056 |
| Total (estimate) | $2,119 | $4,212 |
For comparison, the same model gives about $2,548 (single) and $5,000 (family of four) at the national average. El Paso is $788 below the family baseline each month.
Salary Needed and State Tax Context
Our dataset's median of state median household incomes is $77,871. Scaling that by El Paso's index of 85 suggests you would need roughly $66,190 a year here to match that standard of living. This is a cost-of-living adjustment only; it does not adjust for your household or housing choices.
Texas does not tax wage income, so no state income tax would come out of that salary. Texas's statewide cost index is 93 and its median household income is $79,721. See all Texas tax brackets.
Closest cities by index
Salary Equivalent
To maintain the same standard of living in El Paso, a national-average salary translates to:
$50,000 nationally
$42,500
$75,000 nationally
$63,750
$100,000 nationally
$85,000
$150,000 nationally
$127,500
What Your Salary Gets You in El Paso
Here's how different salary levels translate to monthly purchasing power in El Paso, TX, where the cost of living is 15% below the national average.
Cities With Similar Cost of Living
FAQ: Cost of Living in El Paso
Is El Paso expensive to live in?
El Paso's cost of living index is 85, which is well below the national average of 100. Housing is typically the biggest factor, with estimated monthly rent around $1,403.
What salary do I need to live comfortably in El Paso?
To maintain a middle-class lifestyle in El Paso, you'd need approximately $63,750 per year, which is equivalent to a $75,000 salary at the national average cost of living.
How does El Paso compare to other cities?
El Paso is comparable in cost to Toledo, Memphis, Tulsa.