Cost of living in El Paso: rent, homes and salary
By the BEA regional price parity (RPP), the cost of living in El Paso in 2024 sits 10.1% below the US average: the El Paso, TX metro area is at 89.9, the US at 100, and housing alone at 71.2.
- Level of prices
- 89.9US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 71.2 for rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for El Paso
Regional price parities compare what one basket of goods and services costs in a single place against the US average, set at 100. BEA prices the El Paso, TX metro area as a single area, and El Paso sits inside it. Housing (rents) is the part furthest from the US average, at 71.2, or 28.8% below the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | El Paso, TX metro | Texas | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 89.9 | 97.1 | −10.1% |
| Goods | 93.8 | 98.1 | −6.2% |
| Housing (rents) | 71.2 | 96.5 | −28.8% |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 87.5 | −17.4% |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.1 | −3.8% |
Regional price parities for metro areas and states came from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. BEA regional price parities
What rent costs in El Paso
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) puts typical asking rent in El Paso at $1,508 a month, +3.4% on a year. It covers rent on homes listed now. In the US it is $1,932. Census median gross rent is $1,066, a figure that includes every renting household, not only new leases. One year of asking rent equals 30% of median household income.
| Rent | El Paso | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,508 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +3.4% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,066 | $1,487 |
| One year of asking rent, median income share | 30% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 gives one-year estimates.
What homes cost in El Paso
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) measures the value of a typical home, one in the middle of the market. In El Paso, the typical home was worth $237,556 in September 2026. It is +2.6% on a year, compared with $366,157 in the US. The price is 4.0 years of median household income, while the US figure is 4.5.
| Home prices | El Paso | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $237,556 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +2.6% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +76.3% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 13.1 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast and a price chart going back to 2000: El Paso housing market.
The salary you need to live in El Paso
To match what your pay buys now, the El Paso salary depends on two questions: where you live, plus what you earn.
- Moving away from
- Salary
Side-by-side figures for each city, and the method behind them: cost of living by city.
Moving to El Paso? Compare moving quotes on Moving.com, a mover-quote service; we are not paid for this link.
El Paso cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Rent, typical | Home value, typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso | 89.9 | 71.2 | $1,508 | $237,556 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| San Antonio | 94.7 | 94.6 | $1,381 | $244,623 |
| Dallas | 103.1 | 117.9 | $1,604 | $303,442 |
| Austin | 98.1 | 120.4 | $1,571 | $491,960 |
| Corpus Christi | 92.7 | 84.9 | $1,422 | $222,115 |
| Lubbock | 91.3 | 76.4 | $1,315 | $210,957 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
For price levels, BEA regional price parities for 2024, with US = 100. Rent comes from Zillow ZORI. For home values, Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities, ranked: cost of living comparison. Each state: cost of living by state.