El Paso vs Modesto
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights El Paso edges it, 62 to 59, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Safe, cheap border city sharing a desert valley with Ciudad Juárez
Full El Paso profile →Plan a trip to El Paso →Central Valley farm city that inspired American Graffiti
Full Modesto profile →Plan a trip to Modesto →Where they differ
- Air quality. El Paso leads on air quality, 89 to 80, against Modesto. PM2.5: 9.9 µg/m³ vs 13.9 µg/m³.
- Cost of living. El Paso leads on cost of living, 26 to 19, against Modesto. Monthly cost, one person: $2,697 vs $3,123.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, getting there & around, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.
Pick El Paso if you want
- to spend about $426 less a month
- faster internet (101.8 Mbps measured)
Pick Modesto if you want
- no clear edge over El Paso in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | El Paso | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 26 ✓ | 19 |
| Safety | 51 | 51 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 84 ✓ | 80 |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 13 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 | 50 |
| Air quality | 89 ✓ | 80 |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | El Paso | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,697 ✓ | $3,123 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | El Paso | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 78.5 yrs | 78.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | El Paso | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 101.8 Mbps ✓ | 75.3 Mbps |
| Upload | 11.7 Mbps | 15.2 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | El Paso | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | El Paso | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 17 | 53 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | El Paso | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.9 µg/m³ ✓ | 13.9 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, El Paso or Modesto?
- El Paso is cheaper: about $2,697 per month versus $3,123 for one person.
- Is El Paso or Modesto safer?
- El Paso and Modesto score the same on safety (51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, El Paso or Modesto?
- El Paso: a measured median of 101.8 Mbps versus 75.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.