Question 1

Is El Paso or Fort Worth cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

El Paso, TX is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $534/month less than in Fort Worth, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,191/mo in El Paso versus $1,723/mo in Fort Worth.

Question 2

What salary do you need in El Paso vs Fort Worth?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $61,500/year before tax in El Paso, TX and $72,500/year in Fort Worth, TX — a difference of about $11,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is El Paso or Fort Worth cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

El Paso, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $6,885/month in El Paso and $7,859/month in Fort Worth, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to El Paso or Fort Worth?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. El Paso costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	El Paso81	Fort Worth78
Est. monthly cost (single)	$3,579	$4,113
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$6,885	$7,859
Salary for comfort	$61,500/yr	$72,500/yr
Typical rent	$1,191	$1,723
Median home value	$171,700	$277,300
Median household income	$58,734	$76,602
Unemployment	4.2%	4.1%
Housing score	86	68
Jobs score	54	58
Safety score	98	79
Climate score	94	94
Amenities score	39	77
Population	678.1K	941.3K
Summer high / winter low	95° / 33°	95° / 35°

El Paso, TX vs Fort Worth, TX