Question 1

Is El Paso or Memphis cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Memphis, TN is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $49/month less than in El Paso, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,191/mo in El Paso versus $1,274/mo in Memphis.

Question 2

What salary do you need in El Paso vs Memphis?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $61,500/year before tax in El Paso, TX and $60,500/year in Memphis, TN — a difference of about $1,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is El Paso or Memphis cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Memphis, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $6,885/month in El Paso and $6,533/month in Memphis, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to El Paso or Memphis?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Memphis 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	Memphis57
Est. monthly cost (single)	$3,579	$3,530
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$6,885	$6,533
Salary for comfort	$61,500/yr	$60,500/yr
Typical rent	$1,191	$1,274
Median home value	$171,700	$157,100
Median household income	$58,734	$51,211
Unemployment	4.2%	4.7%
Housing score	86	68
Jobs score	54	31
Safety score	98	4
Climate score	94	100
Amenities score	39	47
Population	678.1K	629.1K
Summer high / winter low	95° / 33°	90° / 30°

El Paso, TX vs Memphis, TN