City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 7.8% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $107,800 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Tucson, AZ than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from El Paso, TX to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| El Paso, TX | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,768 in Tucson | $92,792 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,081/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
46 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Tucson, AZ | Real change, El Paso → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $47,220 | $43,817 (−31.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $123,710 | $114,793 (−9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $76,320 | $70,819 (+7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $94,110 | $87,327 (+1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.