Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and El Paso, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in El Paso, TX: $2,085 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in El Paso, TX
Learn more

El Paso, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

El Paso, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,085

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in El Paso, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in El Paso, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,085 in El Paso, TX.

Austin, TX $2,698
El Paso, TX $2,085

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,161 in El Paso, TX.

Austin, TX $4,160
El Paso, TX $3,161

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,237 in El Paso, TX.

Austin, TX $5,622
El Paso, TX $4,237

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 29% more expensive than in El Paso, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, El Paso, TX 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.44 $18.44

11.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$77.6 $77.6

8.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.11 $12.11

-0.33%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.11 $6.11

-10.31%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.27 $2.27

67.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.62 $1.62

52.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.85 $5.85

37.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.64 $6.64

33.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.81 $0.81

37.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.91 $2.91

27.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.53 $2.53

33.20%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.54 $3.54

22.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.99 $11.99

9.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.80 $11.80

19.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.01 $13.01

25.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.49 $3.49

30.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.41 $1.41

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.49 $2.49

89.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.66 $3.66

13.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.18 $2.18

18.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.70 $2.70

-12.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.76 $1.76

0.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.64 $1.64

30.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.88 $9.88

2.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$9.59 $9.59

58.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.04 $2.04

38.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.93 $4.93

-30.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.51 $1.51

1.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$47.94 $47.94

-14.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.67 $1.67

67.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.36 $1.36

17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$26.92 $26.92

27.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.95 $0.95

-1.05%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

23.75%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

5.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

$159 $159

40.46%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$72.4 $72.4

-18.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$69.2 $69.2

2.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$18.31 $18.31

215.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$8.33 $8.33

98.44%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.01 $12.01

18.73%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$575 $575

162.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$6,999 $6,999

198.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$45.33 $45.33

13.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$37.00 $37.00

19.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$102 $102

-14.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$173 $173

-39.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,147 $1,147

69.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$876 $876

50.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,710 $1,710

114.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,508 $1,508

70.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,873 $1,873

292.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,784 $1,784

75.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,305 $3,305

59.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.51

4.30%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for El Paso, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

El Paso, TX

$876 42% 33.5% $440

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

El Paso, TX

$328 15.7% 19.3% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

El Paso, TX

$300 14.4% 14.8% $52

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

El Paso, TX

$315 15.1% 9.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

El Paso, TX

$161 7.7% 24.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

El Paso, TX

$42 2% 50.9% $44

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

El Paso, TX

$62 3% 7.9% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,147 in El Paso, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 60% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $78.0 in El Paso, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $328 per month, with El Paso, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 El Paso, TX

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

08:53 8:53 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

678,815

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX El Paso, TX 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
El Paso, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs El Paso, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Paso, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making El Paso, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,147 in El Paso, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,085 in El Paso, TX – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in El Paso, TX runs roughly 17% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,085 in El Paso, TX versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Paso, TX but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes El Paso, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find El Paso, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.