City comparison
El Paso, TX vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 22.8% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $122,800 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from El Paso, TX to San Jose, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +22.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (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 | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,812 in San Jose | $81,425 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.6%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | San Jose, CA | Real change, El Paso → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $102,860 | $83,754 (+31.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $213,110 | $173,525 (+36.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $121,700 | $99,094 (+50.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $216,740 | $176,481 (+105.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.