How Much Does It Cost to Live In El Paso, TX?
El Paso is the sixth largest city in Texas, on the United States–Mexico border.
The city of El Paso and other nearby cities, such as Juarez and Las Cruces, New Mexico are collectively referred to as The Borderland.
The people that live in this small Texas city often say that though it isn’t much of a tourist destination, it’s a wonderful place to raise a family.
The people here are generally nice, the weather is great, the housing is affordable, and the cost of living, in general, is pretty low.
United States : Cost of Living by City
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baltimore, MD
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Brooklyn, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fort Myers, FL
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lexington, KY
- Little Rock, AR
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lubbock, TX
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Olympia, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Peoria, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, ME
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Reno, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Salem, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- Syracuse, NY
- Tacoma, WA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Wichita, KS
RESTAURANTS
The food is amazing in El Paso, and there are actually top-notch restaurants here, not just street Mexican food.
There are many popular restaurant areas where you are sure to eat quality yet cheap food.
Most corners in town hold at least one inexpensive or at least mid-range outdoor restaurant.
MARKETS
If you’re super smart about your food, shopping for food in markets is a good idea, though the budget depends on whether you’re alone or have a family, and also on the store you’re shopping in – and El Paso offers all the regular market chains.
Food prices are generally lower in El Paso than in many other cities in Texas.
TRANSPORTATION
Going by car may be the easiest way to see what El Paso has to offer.
Since many sites of interest are quite far apart from one another, renting a car may afford visitors the most flexibility.
Bus services are not well organized but are relatively cheap by U.S. standards – a one-way ticket is less than 1.5$.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Depending on the size of your apartment, monthly utilities, including heating, cooling, electricity, and gas could cost between 80$ and 300$ a month.
However, for an apartment of about 85m2, your bills would amount to up to 133$.
Internet is expensive as well, amounting to around 62.78$ a month.
SPORTS & LEISURE
In El Paso, attending fitness clubs and classes is less expensive than in other cities in Texas.
If you want to go to a fitness club in El Paso and get in shape, the fee will be around 27$ a month.
If you want to watch a movie here, however, expect it to cost over 12$.
This is also a reasonable price.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Shopping options can feel limited here. Cielo Vista Mall, located on the East Side is the largest mall in El Paso.
It is pretty inexpensive in comparison to some other cities in Texas.
Usually, quality jeans cost around 38$, quality sneakers around 65$, while lighter pieces of clothing are only 32$.
RENT PER MONTH
It is widely known that there are many major cities in Texas where the most expensive aspect of living is rent, but El Paso doesn’t fit into this description.
In this city, rent is far cheaper than in most major cities.
Here, you cannot find an apartment to rent for less than 775.00$, and if you’re looking for one in the center, then count on giving 916.67$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for El Paso, TX
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $11.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $4.25 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.21 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.87 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $3.78 |
| Eggs (12) | $6.44 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.50 |
| Monthly Pass | $41.50 |
| Gasoline | $0.83 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $133.91 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.09 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $62.78 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $27.83 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $21.67 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $12.00 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $38.17 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $32.50 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $65.00 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $916.67 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $775.00 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $1556.00 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in El Paso, TX?
Since rent isn’t as expensive here as it is in some other important cities in Texas, the biggest chunk of the paycheck of El Paso’s citizens gets spent on food.
The next huge expense is rent, since the standard is high in Texas, even though rent is lower in this particular city.
The percentage of income that gets spent on rent is getting close to the percentage that gets spent on food.
Restaurants take up the third spot on the list, as well as transportation (with just 2% more than restaurants) since fancy food is a very big part of this city, and transportation is necessary.
As usual, the smallest amount of money is spent on clothes and accessories.
Average Costs Breakdown
El Paso, TX: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
El Paso has suffered a brain drain problem where college graduates are forced to move to other cities for better career opportunities.
This means that people in El Paso don’t have the same quality of life that Austin, Dallas, or Houston may have
The range of specialized high-paying jobs is limited: unless you continue to work in real estate, government, law, banking, healthcare, or trade/manufacturing/logistics, it’s a difficult city to grow your career.
With an average wage reaching4 200$, a citizen of El Paso has a very high average salary which fits very well into general Texan standards.
El Paso Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: El Paso Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
