Cost of living in El Paso research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means El Paso is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Texas, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in El Paso is 90, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in El Paso is 0.9x lower than the national average.
El Paso ranks as the #127 cheapest in Texas out of 414.
El Paso ranks as the #1,206 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in El Paso is $229,134.
The median income in El Paso is $58,734.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, El Paso has an overall cost of living index of 90, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Texas, El Paso has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Texas's index of 92.
The standard of living in El Paso ranks as #127 most affordable out of the 414 places we measured in Texas. By definition, that implies El Paso ranks as the #287 most expensive place in the Lone Star State.
For more reading on life in El Paso, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in El Paso. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in El Paso is 95.
The Groceries index in El Paso is 96.
The Health index in El Paso is 89.
The Housing index in El Paso is 75.
The Transportation index in El Paso is 104.
The Utilities index in El Paso is 89.
| Living Expense | El Paso | Texas | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 90 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 95 | 97 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 96 | 97 | 100 | |
| Health | 89 | 93 | 100 | |
| Housing | 75 | 82 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 104 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 89 | 104 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Texas, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in El Paso is $229,134.
The Median Rent in El Paso is $1,041.
The Median Income in El Paso is $58,734.
The Home Value To Income in El Paso is 3.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in El Paso is 0.21x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around El Paso. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Socorro, TX has a cost of living index of 85, 0.9x El Paso.
Sunland Park, NM has a cost of living index of 86, 1.0x El Paso.
Chaparral, NM has a cost of living index of 81, 0.9x El Paso.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. El Paso |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socorro, TX | 36,237 | 85 | 0.9x |
| Sunland Park, NM | 17,085 | 86 | 1.0x |
| Chaparral, NM | 16,642 | 81 | 0.9x |
| Fort Bliss, TX | 12,009 | 111 | 1.2x |
| Anthony, NM | 8,701 | 81 | 0.9x |
| Homestead Meadows North, TX | 5,987 | 87 | 1.0x |
| Santa Teresa, NM | 5,973 | 95 | 1.1x |