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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,106 in El Paso, TX versus $2,318 in Belfast.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,207 in El Paso, TX versus $3,367 in Belfast.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in El Paso, TX versus $4,415 in Belfast.

Living in El Paso, TX costs roughly 9% less than in Belfast, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: El Paso, TX 53% above, Belfast 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.14 $18.14

$20.31 £15.03

-10.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 $77.0

$96.6 £71.5

-20.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$11.00 £8.14

10.27%

Cappuccino

$6.19 $6.19

$4.96 £3.67

24.80%

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

$2.38 $2.38

$3.08 £2.28

-22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.10 £1.55

-22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$7.94 £5.87

-22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 $6.85

$8.36 £6.19

-18.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.82 £1.35

-52.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.41 £1.78

19.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.67 £1.98

-10.11%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$4.62 £3.42

-22.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.00 $12.00

$11.12 £8.23

7.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 $11.77

$11.12 £8.22

5.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 $12.92

$16.15 £11.95

-20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.16 £2.34

9.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.06 £1.52

-32.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.36 £2.49

-25.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$4.22 £3.12

-16.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.37 £1.76

-8.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.64 £1.21

71.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.38 £1.02

27.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.91 £1.41

-18.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 $9.60

$24.67 £18.25

-61.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 $9.62

$12.22 £9.04

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.86 £2.12

-30.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.22 £2.38

51.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.20 £2.37

-51.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.63 $48.63

$102 £75.3

-52.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 $1.69

$4.85 £3.59

-65.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.52 £1.12

-6.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.09 $27.09

$20.52 £15.18

32.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.16 £1.60

-58.80%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$39.2K £29.0K

-8.73%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$41.4K £30.6K

-38.33%

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

$158 $158

$260 £192

-39.28%

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

$72.2 $72.2

$23.48 £17.37

207.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$47.29 £34.98

46.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.00 $18.00

$48.65 £35.99

-63.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.63 $8.63

$10.60 £7.84

-18.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$14.35 £10.61

-16.93%

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

$570 $570

$1,458 £1,078

-60.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,966 $6,966

$18.3K £13.6K

-62.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.88 $45.88

$84.6 £62.6

-45.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.74 $36.74

$47.57 £35.20

-22.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$108 £79.7

-5.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 $173

$105 £77.5

64.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$1,197 £886

-4.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 $873

$969 £717

-9.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 $1,704

$1,979 £1,464

-13.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 $1,535

$1,416 £1,048

8.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,754 $1,754

$4,153 £3,072

-57.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,791 $1,791

$2,590 £1,916

-30.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 $3,275

$3,264 £2,415

0.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.13

4.91

24.85%

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

Last update for El Paso, TX: August 29, 2026

Last update for Belfast: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,141 in El Paso, TX and $1,197 in Belfast. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Paso, TX pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in El Paso, TX vs $97.0 in Belfast for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $356 per month, with El Paso, TX cheaper across the board.

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 Belfast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Paso, TX is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 0% higher in El Paso, 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: $1,141 in El Paso, TX versus $1,197 in Belfast. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $570 in El Paso, TX versus $1,458 in Belfast. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Belfast. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,106 in El Paso, TX versus $2,318 in Belfast, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Paso, TX but tight or insufficient in Belfast. The gap between the two cities makes El Paso, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, El Paso, TX is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Belfast, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, El Paso, TX and Belfast 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, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Belfast. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.