Question 1

Is El Paso or Long Beach cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

El Paso, TX is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $2,430/month less than in Long Beach, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,191/mo in El Paso versus $2,903/mo in Long Beach.

Question 2

What salary do you need in El Paso vs Long Beach?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $61,500/year before tax in El Paso, TX and $121,500/year in Long Beach, CA — a difference of about $60,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is El Paso or Long Beach 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 $11,302/month in Long Beach, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to El Paso or Long Beach?

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	Long Beach46
Est. monthly cost (single)	$3,579	$6,009
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$6,885	$11,302
Salary for comfort	$61,500/yr	$121,500/yr
Typical rent	$1,191	$2,903
Median home value	$171,700	$762,200
Median household income	$58,734	$83,969
Unemployment	4.2%	5.1%
Housing score	86	5
Jobs score	54	27
Safety score	98	41
Climate score	94	100
Amenities score	39	91
Population	678.1K	458.5K
Summer high / winter low	95° / 33°	82° / 46°

El Paso, TX vs Long Beach, CA