City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 14.9% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $114,900 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from El Paso, TX to Phoenix, AZ ($106,437 → $111,338), while prices change by +14.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.0% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| El Paso, TX | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,908 in Phoenix | $87,026 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, El Paso → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,564 | −9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,117 | −9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,629 | −9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,338 | −9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,568 | −9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $59,180 | $51,502 (−19.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $131,750 | $114,657 (−9.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $80,820 | $70,335 (+6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $100,830 | $87,749 (+1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.