Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and El Paso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Paso: $1,635 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in El Paso
Learn more

El Paso Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

El Paso

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,635 in El Paso.

Austin, TX $2,663
El Paso $1,635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,406 in El Paso.

Austin, TX $4,133
El Paso $2,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,176 in El Paso.

Austin, TX $5,603
El Paso $3,176

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 63% more expensive than in El Paso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, El Paso 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.77 €14.92

23.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$55.7 €49.50

52.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.16 €9.93

10.39%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.37 €2.11

137.55%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.59 €2.31

43.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.80 €1.60

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.44 €3.06

134.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.64 €3.24

147.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.22 €1.09

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.44 €1.28

160.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.54 €1.37

111.69%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.21 €2.85

29.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.62 €12.12

-5.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.22 €7.32

72.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.92 €14.16

1.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.50 €2.22

73.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.06 €1.83

-29.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.89 €1.68

138.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.61 €2.33

66.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.81 €1.61

42.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.06 €1.83

14.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.39 €1.23

28.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.73 €0.65

204.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.16 €5.48

60.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.44 €4.84

177.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.21 €1.08

141.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.14 €1.91

61.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.65 €1.47

-9.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$32.53 €28.94

28.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.98 €3.54

-31.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.39 €1.23

19.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$23.08 €20.53

52.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.79 €1.59

-46.93%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$34.9K €31.0K

3.37%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$28.8K €25.6K

-6.07%

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

$229 $229

$146 €130

56.61%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$18.28 €16.26

224.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$30.34 €26.99

130.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$45.48 €40.45

25.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.48 €13.77

5.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$8.90 €7.92

60.45%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$485 €432

210.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,361 €7,437

156.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$85.9 €76.4

-38.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.49 €31.57

23.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$90.3 €80.4

-6.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$110 €98.2

-6.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$892 €794

113.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$678 €603

87.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,363 €1,213

168.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,001 €890

153.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,355 €2,985

126.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,189 €1,947

44.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.3

105.76%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for El Paso: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

El Paso

$678 41.5% 46.8% $596

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

El Paso

$266 16.3% 34.3% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

El Paso

$195 11.9% 45.6% $163

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

El Paso

$238 14.6% 32.7% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

El Paso

$145 8.9% 13.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

El Paso

$63 3.9% 26.2% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

El Paso

$50 3.1% 14.7% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $892 in El Paso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $56.0 in El Paso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $266 per month, with El Paso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇪🇸 El Paso

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

21:04 9:04 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

700

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX El Paso 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
El Paso

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Paso wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making El Paso the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $2,453 in El Paso to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $892 in El Paso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,635 in El Paso – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in El Paso runs roughly 28% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,635 in El Paso versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in El Paso but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes El Paso 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and El Paso are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find El Paso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.