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Cost of living in El Paso, TX

Compared with New York. Change city

$2,347a month less for the typical home than in New York1,2

That's $28,160 a year, enough to cover 16 months of the mortgage in El Paso. The average commute is 13 minutes shorter each way, about 2.2 hours a week back4.

Typical home $314,987 vs $742,000. 2-bedroom rent3 $1,100 vs $1,997. See the math

By Sol Lakein.Checked October 2026.How we compare costs

Downtown El Paso towers including the Plaza Hotel, El PasoChris Carzoli / Unsplash
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  • Mountains and trailsFranklin Mountains State Park, 24,000 acres inside city limits
  • College townUniversity of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)
  • Job hubFort Bliss, largest employer listed

El Paso at a glance, next to New York

5

What the median home costs each month

1,2
New York metro$4,078/mo
$742,000 typical home
El Paso$1,731/mo
$314,987 typical home

If you rent: median 2-bedroom

3
New York metro$1,997/mo
El Paso$1,100/mo
About $897 a month less in rent
Rent by apartment size in El Paso

Day-to-day costs

  • Housing costs629% cheaper than averageNew York: 49% above
  • Salary that matches $150,000 in New York6$119,816
El Paso in a paragraph

The median listed home in El Paso is $314,987 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 25% below the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $1,731 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,100 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 89.9, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $119,816 here.

Weather

8
  • 34.5°January low
  • 95.8°July high
  • 2.8 inSnow per year

Home prices next to New York

1
Typical home for sale
New York metro$742,000
El Paso$314,987
58% less, a $427,013 difference
Price per square foot
New York metro$494
El Paso$172
2.9 times the space for the money

Your New York, in El Paso

We're matching El Paso's parks, museums, arenas and food halls to their New York counterparts. Until then, see how it works for Raleigh.

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Is El Paso a good place to live?

El Paso fits families who want prices 10% below the US average and homes list 25% below the US median. The main trade-off is hot summers. Here is what you gain and what you give up.

What you gain

  • Prices 10% below the US averageEveryday prices, rent included, index at 89.9 against a US average of 100.BEA regional price parities, 2024
  • Homes list 25% below the US median$314,987 median listing against $419,250 nationally.Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026
  • Mild wintersJanuary lows average 34.5°F with 2.8 inches of snow a year.NOAA 1991-2020 normals
  • A real job marketFort Bliss, largest employer listedSlower Sundays city profile
Show 2 more
  • University townUniversity of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)Slower Sundays city profile
  • Mountains and trails close byFranklin Mountains State Park, 24,000 acres inside city limitsSlower Sundays city profile

What you trade

  • Hot summersJuly highs average 95.8°F.NOAA 1991-2020 normals
  • No nonstop flights to New YorkTrips home mean a connection or a drive to a bigger airport.Airport route page, accessed November 3, 2026

More on El Paso and Texas

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El Paso cost of living: questions people ask

What is the cost of living in El Paso, TX?

The median listed home in El Paso is $314,987 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 25% below the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $1,731 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,100 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 89.9, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $119,816 here.

How much would I save moving from New York to El Paso?

The median listed home is $314,987 in El Paso against $742,000 in the New York metro, 58% less. On a mortgage for each median home, that is about $2,347 a month less in principal and interest (20% down, 7.32%, Freddie Mac, October 22, 2026).

How much is rent in El Paso?

The median gross rent for a 2-bedroom in the El Paso metro is $1,100 a month, including utilities the renter pays (Census American Community Survey, 2025). In the New York metro it is $1,997, $897 more. The US median is $1,563.

What salary in El Paso matches $150,000 in New York?

$119,816. That is $150,000 adjusted by the BEA regional price parities for both metros (89.9 in El Paso, 112.6 in New York, 2024).

Does El Paso pay you to move there?

None of the relocation incentive programs we track cover El Paso as of October 2026.

What is the weather like in El Paso?

January lows average 34.5°F and July highs 95.8°F, with 2.8 inches of snow a year (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, El Paso International Airport).

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, with price per square foot, from Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. The comparison metro uses the same series and month.
  2. 2Monthly cost: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
  3. 3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, not only new leases. Census table
  4. 4Commute: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table S0801, mean travel time to work (one way, workers who do not work from home), 2025. Hours back assume a 5-day round trip. Census table
  5. 5At a glance: a difference within 5% counts as about the same.
  6. 6Everyday prices, housing costs and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024, US = 100.
  7. 7Flights: airport route pages, October 2026.
  8. 8Weather: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, El Paso International Airport.
Sources for this page