Cost of Living in El Paso, TX (2026)

El Paso's cost of living is 10% below the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $111,220 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

El Paso has a cost-of-living index of 90 against a US average of 100 — about 10% below average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $111,220 at the national average.

What it costs to live in El Paso

MeasureEl PasoUS average
Cost-of-living index90100
Median rent$1,041/mo-
Median home value$171,700-
Median household income$58,734-
Population678,147-

Monthly cost breakdown in El Paso

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$1,041$997
Transport$722$722
Food$568$568
Healthcare$356$356
Other$1,267$1,267
Total$3,954$3,910

Affordability in El Paso

Median rent takes about 21.3% of the median household income in El Paso — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 2.9x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in El Paso

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Software Developer$106,750$118,727
Marketing Manager$97,650$108,606
Physical Therapist$95,420$106,126
Data Scientist$82,140$91,356
Mechanical Engineer$80,510$89,543
Web Developer$78,510$87,319
Registered Nurse$77,950$86,696
Dental Hygienist$74,758$83,146

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for El Paso’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

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Frequently asked questions

El Paso has a cost-of-living index of 90 against a US average of 100, so it is about 10% below the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in El Paso has roughly the purchasing power of $111,220 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At El Paso's median rent of $1,041/month that implies about $41,640 a year before tax. The median household in El Paso earns $58,734.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $3,954 a month in El Paso across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $3,910 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in El Paso costs $171,700, which is 2.9x the median household income of $58,734. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so El Paso is comfortable on that measure.