City comparison
El Paso, TX vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 25.2% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $125,200 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in New York, NY than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from El Paso, TX to New York, NY ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +25.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.9% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| El Paso, TX | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $125,192 in New York | $79,877 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.1%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +25.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | New York, NY | Real change, El Paso → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | −5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | −5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | −5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | −5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | −5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | New York, NY | New York pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $96,900 | $77,401 (+21.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $166,830 | $133,259 (+4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $105,650 | $84,390 (+27.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $119,720 | $95,629 (+11.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.