Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Paso, TX and Salem, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in El Paso, TX: $2,085 a month against $2,741 in Salem, OR, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Salem, OR
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Salem, OR Living Index

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El Paso, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,085

/mo nomad

Salem, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,085 per month in El Paso, TX vs $2,741 in Salem, OR, rent included.

El Paso, TX $2,085
Salem, OR $2,741

A couple spends around $3,161 per month in El Paso, TX vs $3,927 in Salem, OR, rent included.

El Paso, TX $3,161
Salem, OR $3,927

A family of three spends $4,237 per month in El Paso, TX vs $5,114 in Salem, OR, rent included.

El Paso, TX $4,237
Salem, OR $5,114

El Paso, TX is about 24% cheaper than Salem, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both El Paso, TX and Salem, OR sit above the global median – El Paso, TX by 54%, Salem, OR by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.44 $18.44

$19.72 $19.72

-6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 $77.6

$94.4 $94.4

-17.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 $12.11

$12.15 $12.15

-0.33%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$4.66 $4.66

31.12%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$2.44 $2.44

-6.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.12 $2.12

-23.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.93 $4.93

18.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 $6.64

$7.15 $7.15

-7.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.17 $1.17

-30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.81 $3.81

-23.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$4.15 $4.15

-39.04%

Eggs

$3.54 $3.54

$4.99 $4.99

-29.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 $11.99

$14.49 $14.49

-17.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.80 $11.80

$13.60 $13.60

-13.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$17.92 $17.92

-27.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.75 $4.75

-26.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.79 $1.79

-21.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.77 $3.77

-33.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$4.17 $4.17

-12.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.06 $3.06

-28.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$3.40 $3.40

-20.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.86 $1.86

-5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.23 $2.23

-26.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.62 $11.62

-14.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 $9.59

$15.07 $15.07

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.66 $1.66

22.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.92 $2.92

68.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.98 $1.98

-23.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.94 $47.94

$44.32 $44.32

8.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 $1.67

$3.53 $3.53

-52.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.13 $2.13

-36.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.92 $26.92

$49.26 $49.26

-45.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.26 $1.26

-24.60%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$25.5K $25.5K

7.59%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$24.4K $24.4K

4.18%

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

$159 $159

$220 $220

-28.03%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$60.9 $60.9

18.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$96.4 $96.4

-28.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.31 $18.31

$45.21 $45.21

-59.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.33 $8.33

Cinema Ticket

$12.01 $12.01

$14.94 $14.94

-19.61%

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

$575 $575

$1,061 $1,061

-45.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,999 $6,999

$16.2K $16.2K

-56.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.33 $45.33

$56.4 $56.4

-19.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.00 $37.00

$46.91 $46.91

-21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$84.6 $84.6

21.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 $173

$80.1 $80.1

115.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 $1,147

$1,548 $1,548

-25.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 $876

$1,378 $1,378

-36.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 $1,710

$2,348 $2,348

-27.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 $1,508

$2,064 $2,064

-26.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,873 $1,873

$2,973 $2,973

-37.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,784 $1,784

$2,981 $2,981

-40.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,305 $3,305

$3,709 $3,709

-10.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.59

-1.21%

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 Salem, OR: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Paso, TX

$876 42%

Salem, OR

$1.4K 50.3% 57.3% $502

Groceries & Markets

El Paso, TX

$328 15.7%

Salem, OR

$416 15.2% 27.1% $89

Eating Out

El Paso, TX

$315 15.1%

Salem, OR

$307 11.2% 2.5% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Paso, TX

$300 14.4%

Salem, OR

$378 13.8% 25.8% $77

Clothing & Footwear

El Paso, TX

$161 7.7%

Salem, OR

$121 4.4% 25% $40

Getting Around

El Paso, TX

$62 3%

Salem, OR

$66 2.4% 6.3% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

El Paso, TX

$42 2%

Salem, OR

$75 2.7% 77.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,147 in El Paso, TX versus $1,548 in Salem, OR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Salem, OR, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in El Paso, TX versus $94.0 in Salem, OR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $416 – making El Paso, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 El Paso, TX

🇺🇸 Salem, OR

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

1 h behind El Paso, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

678,815

155,469

💱 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 Salem, OR 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

El Paso, TX
Salem, OR

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 Salem, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salem, OR costs about 31% more than El Paso, TX, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,127 per month in El Paso, TX and $4,112 in Salem, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Paso, TX, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,085 in El Paso, TX and $2,741 in Salem, OR. That's a gap of about 31%.

Public transport costs about 8% less in El Paso, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Paso, TX, where all-in costs run around $2,085, than in Salem, OR at $2,741. In El Paso, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salem, OR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Paso, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with El Paso, TX. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salem, OR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.