Cost of Living in El Paso, Texas
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in El Paso, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 683,012
- Median household income
- $59,932
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 89.9
- Unemployment rate
- 4.3%
Is El Paso a good place to live?
El Paso is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 119 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better.
A typical worker in El Paso keeps $4,987 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living10% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,029 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- TaxesNo state income tax on wages
Cost of living in El Paso
Prices in the El Paso, TX area run 10% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 29% below the US average.
- Housing29% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
- Utilities17% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)4% below the US average
- All items10% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,029 | $12,348 |
| Food | $463 | $5,556 |
| Transportation | $366 | $4,392 |
| Healthcare | $339 | $4,068 |
| Utilities | $215 | $2,580 |
| Total before taxes | $2,412 | $28,944 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | El Paso | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $842 | $798 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,029 | $969 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,214 | $1,146 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,652 | $1,559 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,028 | $1,915 |
Living in El Paso
How El Paso compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | El Paso | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,932 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $209,600 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,066 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 38.4% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 18.3% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 28.7% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 35.5 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 23.5 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 7.4% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 0.9% | 3.7% |
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of El Paso, led by Spectrum, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. Fiber reaches 50.2% of homes and 60.9% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in El Paso
Pros and cons of living in El Paso
Pros
- Cheaper rent. Median rent is $1,066 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Lower cost of living. Prices are 10% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- No state income tax. Texas doesn't tax wages, so more of each paycheck stays with you.
- Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $209,600, against $360,600 nationally.
Cons
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker keeps $4,987 a year, less than in 119 of 178 large cities.
- Higher poverty rate. 18.3% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12.2% nationally.
- Lower incomes. Median household income is $59,932, against $81,604 nationally.
What your job keeps in El Paso
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $39,510
- Federal income tax
- −$2,561
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,023
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$12,348
- Everyday costs
- −$16,591
a year, or $416 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS El Paso, TX. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the El Paso, TX area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $86,100 | $40,462 |
| Project manager | $79,920 | $36,115 |
| Police officer | $76,400 | $33,638 |
| Accountant | $65,990 | $26,264 |
| Teacher | $63,457 | $24,229 |
| Licensed practical nurse | $58,770 | $20,463 |
| Truck driver | $49,270 | $12,830 |
| Auto mechanic | $44,250 | $8,796 |
| Medical assistant | $35,790 | $1,998 |
| Nursing assistant | $35,170 | $1,500 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in El Paso on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Carpenter $7,333
- Civil engineer $35,531
- Data scientist $47,026
- Dental assistant $4,650
- Dental hygienist $39,450
- Dentist $85,494
- Diesel mechanic $11,424
- Electrician $11,921
- Financial analyst $35,693
- Firefighter $13,657
- HVAC technician $11,223
- Lawyer $78,393
- Lineman $36,002
- Mechanical engineer $44,212
- Nurse practitioner $69,207
- Occupational therapist $51,317
- Paralegal $18,100
- Paramedic $16,839
- Pharmacist $67,703
- Pharmacy technician $5,542
- Physical therapist $51,781
- Physician assistant $55,321
- Plumber $16,277
- Radiologic technologist $31,113
- Respiratory therapist $32,998
- Social worker $15,859
- Software engineer $69,344
- Speech-language pathologist $49,840
- Veterinarian $66,568
- Welder $9,398
Compare El Paso with other cities
Compare El Paso with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to El Paso
9 licensed interstate movers are based in El Paso (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is El Paso, TX a good place to live?
El Paso is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 119 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better. The typical worker here earns $39,510 and keeps $4,987 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in El Paso?
Prices in the El Paso, TX area are 10% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,029 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,383 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in El Paso?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $33,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the El Paso, TX area earns $39,510.
What is the average rent in El Paso?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $842 for a studio, $1,029 for a 1-bedroom and $1,214 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in El Paso at $1,066 a month (2024).
Does El Paso have a state or city income tax?
Texas has no state income tax on wages. El Paso has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve El Paso?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of El Paso, led by Spectrum, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. 50.2% of homes can get fiber and 60.9% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate