Cost of living comparison
compared to
El Paso vs. Austin Cost of Living Summary
El Paso is 10.2% cheaper than Austin.
El Paso vs. Austin Cost Breakdown
If you lived in El Paso instead of Austin, you would:
pay 5.0% more for restaurants
Austin | El Paso | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $20.00 | $25.10 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $11.00 | $12.00 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $2.67 | $2.80 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $2.09 | $1.68 | |
Austin vs. El Paso - Cost of restaurants
pay 5.7% less for groceries
Austin | El Paso | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $3.40 | $2.47 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $6.17 | $5.63 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $3.93 | $3.31 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $4.85 | $3.58 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $5.15 | $5.63 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $2.20 | $1.55 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.70 | $0.61 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $1.96 | $1.87 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $1.75 | $1.97 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.18 | $1.58 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.24 | $1.32 | |
Austin vs. El Paso - Cost of groceries
pay 4.5% more for transportation
Austin | El Paso | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $2.79 | $2.76 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $41.38 | $48.00 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $27,900.00 | $36,278.39 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $17.67 | $12.85 | |
Austin vs. El Paso - Cost of transportation
pay 20.3% less for housing
Austin | El Paso | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $68.20 | $69.17 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $2,134.75 | $1,085.85 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,434.41 | $887.50 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $133.86 | $139.84 | |
Austin vs. El Paso - Cost of housing
pay 62.9% less for childcare
Austin | El Paso | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,343.18 | $574.50 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $22,093.75 | $6,930.00 | |
Austin vs. El Paso - Cost of childcare
pay 8.6% less for entertainment and sports
Austin | El Paso | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $6.00 | $5.00 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.56 | $6.40 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $9.00 | $12.00 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $66.33 | $26.80 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $15.00 | $12.75 | |
Austin vs. El Paso - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 16.3% more for clothing
Austin | El Paso | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $52.74 | $41.00 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $43.79 | $43.33 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $87.55 | $97.21 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $117.47 | $208.33 | |
Austin vs. El Paso - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
Change currency:
Compare further: Austin vs. El Paso
Help us improve these prices
MyLifeElsewhere is a collaborative project. Please enter price information for your location to help assist us in making these comparisons more accurate. Learn more
Ask the Elsewhere Community
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about El Paso or Austin. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.