Duluth vs El Paso
Cost of Living Comparison · 2026 Data
Duluth
El Paso
💡 The Verdict
El Paso is 21% cheaper than Duluth overall. A $75,000 salary in Duluth is equivalent to $59,028 in El Paso.
Category-by-Category Breakdown
Index values for Duluth (left) vs El Paso (right). National average = 100.
Detailed Price Comparison
Estimated item-level prices in Duluth versus El Paso. Differences shown from Duluth perspective.
| Item | Duluth | El Paso | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Bed Rent | $1,030/mo | $720/mo | +$310.00 |
| 2-Bed Rent | $1,310/mo | $1,000/mo | +$310.00 |
| 3-Bed Rent | $1,650/mo | $1,350/mo | +$300.00 |
| Bread (loaf) | $3.00 | $2.54 | +$0.46 |
| Milk (gallon) | $3.94 | $3.63 | +$0.31 |
| Eggs (dozen) | $3.46 | $3.33 | +$0.13 |
| Coffee (latte) | $6.36 | $5.93 | +$0.43 |
| Gas (gallon) | $3.83 | $3.25 | +$0.58 |
| Restaurant Meal | $16.00 | $15.28 | +$0.72 |
💰 Salary Equivalence
A $75,000 salary in Duluth has the same purchasing power as $59,028 in El Paso.
Conversely, $75,000 in El Paso equals $95,294 in Duluth.
💼 Take-Home Pay Comparison
Estimated annual take-home pay on a $75,000 salary after federal, FICA, and state income taxes.
The $5101 difference is driven by Minnesota having a higher state income tax rate. Minnesota details → · Texas details →
Reading These Numbers: Duluth (108) vs El Paso (85)
Duluth at 108 is 8% above the US average, while El Paso at 85 is 15% below average. There is a meaningful cost gap between these two cities that affects day-to-day budgeting.
In Duluth, the composite index of 108 reflects a weighted calculation where housing carries the most influence at 101, followed by groceries (109), utilities (101), transportation (110), and healthcare (112). Costs are fairly balanced across categories.
For renters: With median rents of $1,310/mo in Duluth and $1,000/mo in El Paso, the annual rent difference is approximately $3,720.0. Over a 5-year period, that compounds to $18,600.0 in savings by choosing the more affordable city.
For homebuyers: The $184,000.0 difference in median home prices between Duluth and El Paso translates to meaningful differences in mortgage payments at current rates. Factor this into your budget alongside property taxes and insurance, which also vary by location.
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Making Your Decision: Duluth vs El Paso
Choosing between Duluth and El Paso involves more than just comparing index numbers. Consider how each category aligns with your personal spending patterns. If you work from home, transportation costs matter less than housing and utilities. If you eat out frequently, the groceries index may understate your actual food spending — look at the restaurant meal prices in the detailed comparison table above instead.
The cost gap between Duluth and El Paso reflects thousands of individual pricing differences across housing markets, grocery chains, utility providers, and healthcare networks. No two households experience the same effective cost of living even in the same city, which is why the category breakdown matters more than the headline number. Adjust the lifestyle weighting sliders above to see how your spending priorities shift the comparison between these specific metros.