$40K in Fresno = $32,323 in El Paso

Your $40K salary in Fresno (COL 99) has the same purchasing power as $32,323 in El Paso (COL 80). El Paso is cheaper — your money goes 19% further there.

$40K in Fresno, CA
$2,418/mo take-home
Rent: $1,450/mo (60% of take-home)
Difficult
$32,323/yr in El Paso, TX
$2,205/mo take-home
Rent: $1,050/mo (48% of take-home)
Difficult

Budget breakdown — $40K in both cities

What $40K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
Fresno
$40K
El Paso
$40K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$2,418$2,728
1BR rent$1,450$1,050
Groceries$380$346
Transport$72$40
Utilities$142$175
Internet$65$60
Left after essentials$309/month$1,057/month
To match your Fresno purchasing power in El Paso, you'd need to earn $32,323/year (19% less than $40K). At that salary, you'd have $534/mo left after essentials — vs $309/mo in Fresno.

Frequently asked questions

What is $40K in Fresno equivalent to in El Paso?

$40K in Fresno (COL index 99) has the same purchasing power as $32,323 in El Paso (COL index 80). That's 19% less than your current salary.

If I move from Fresno to El Paso keeping my $40K salary, will I be better off?

Yes. If you keep earning $40K after moving to El Paso, you'd have $748 more per month after core expenses — because El Paso is cheaper than Fresno.

How is the salary equivalent calculated?

The equivalent salary is calculated by multiplying your current salary by the ratio of the two cities' overall cost of living indices: $40K × (80 ÷ 99) = $32,323. This adjusts for differences in housing, food, transport, and general cost of living.

Other salary amounts — Fresno to El Paso

$50K → $40,404$60K → $48,485$75K → $60,606$80K → $64,646$100K → $80,808$120K → $96,970$150K → $121,212
$40K in El Paso → FresnoMoving from Fresno to El PasoFresno vs El Paso — full comparisonCan I afford Fresno vs El Paso on $40K?

Equivalency uses overall COL index ratio. Take-home uses simplified federal/state brackets. Zillow · BLS · Numbeo · Q1 2026 · For general guidance only