City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | El Paso | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $976/mo | $1,235/mo | 21.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $159,300 | $235,000 | 32.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $55,710 | $60,440 | 7.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.7 | 97.7 | 1.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 106.5 | 11.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 97.3 | 3.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 90.9 | 4.3% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in El Paso, you'd need $126,543 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Paso, TX is about 21% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% lower in El Paso than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in El Paso, you'd need about $101,234 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.