Last update: Oct 2026

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

101

Cost of Living Index in El Paso, TX
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El Paso, TX Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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El Paso, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,085

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in El Paso, TX costs roughly 23% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.44 $18.44

$20.63 $20.63

-10.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 $77.6

$84.6 $84.6

-8.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 $12.11

$12.07 $12.07

0.33%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$5.48 $5.48

11.50%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$3.80 $3.80

-40.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.47 $2.47

-34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$8.05 $8.05

-27.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 $6.64

$8.88 $8.88

-25.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.11 $1.11

-27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.72 $3.72

-21.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.37 $3.37

-24.93%

Eggs

$3.54 $3.54

$4.32 $4.32

-18.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 $11.99

$13.13 $13.13

-8.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.80 $11.80

$14.15 $14.15

-16.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$16.33 $16.33

-20.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.55 $4.55

-23.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.46 $1.46

-3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$4.71 $4.71

-47.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$4.15 $4.15

-11.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.58 $2.58

-15.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.35 $2.35

14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.77 $1.77

-0.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.14 $2.14

-23.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.10 $10.10

-2.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 $9.59

$15.19 $15.19

-36.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.82 $2.82

-27.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.44 $3.44

43.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.54 $1.54

-1.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.94 $47.94

$40.99 $40.99

16.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.80 $2.80

-40.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.60 $1.60

-15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.92 $26.92

$34.34 $34.34

-21.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.94 $0.94

1.06%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

-19.19%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-5.11%

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

$159 $159

$223 $223

-28.81%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$58.9 $58.9

22.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$70.6 $70.6

-2.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.31 $18.31

$57.7 $57.7

-68.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.33 $8.33

$16.53 $16.53

-49.61%

Cinema Ticket

$12.01 $12.01

$14.26 $14.26

-15.78%

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

$575 $575

$1,511 $1,511

-61.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,999 $6,999

$20.9K $20.9K

-66.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.33 $45.33

$51.3 $51.3

-11.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.00 $37.00

$44.17 $44.17

-16.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$87.0 $87.0

17.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 $173

$104 $104

65.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 $1,147

$1,940 $1,940

-40.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 $876

$1,316 $1,316

-33.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 $1,710

$3,664 $3,664

-53.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 $1,508

$2,565 $2,565

-41.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,873 $1,873

$7,354 $7,354

-74.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,784 $1,784

$3,129 $3,129

-42.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,305 $3,305

$5,286 $5,286

-37.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.79

-4.12%

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

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Paso, TX

$876 42%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 50.3% $440

Groceries & Markets

El Paso, TX

$328 15.7%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 23.9% $78

Eating Out

El Paso, TX

$315 15.1%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 11% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Paso, TX

$300 14.4%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 17.4% $52

Clothing & Footwear

El Paso, TX

$161 7.7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 19.8% $32

Getting Around

El Paso, TX

$62 3%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 7.3% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

El Paso, TX

$42 2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 104% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in El Paso, TX and $1,940 in Austin, 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: $78.0 in El Paso, TX vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $406 per month, with El Paso, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 El Paso, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

08:58 8:58 AM

1 h ahead of El Paso, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

678,815

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

El Paso, TX
Austin, 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

El Paso, TX vs Austin, 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.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

All in, you'll spend $2,085 per month in El Paso, TX versus $2,698 in Austin, 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.