Cost of Living in Laredo
Laredo's overall cost of living runs meaningfully below the national average across every index found this session, though the exact figure varies by source. Housing costs specifically run well below average, a major driver of the overall gap.
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Learn moreMultiple indices agree on direction, disagree on magnitude
BestPlaces cites a cost-of-living score of 82.2 (17.8% below the national average of 100); ERI/SalaryExpert cites costs 14% below the national average; a C2ER-derived AreaVibes figure cites 88 against a 100 national baseline (all retrieved 2026-08-22, base record). Treat the true figure as a directional range of roughly 12%-18% below the national average rather than one precise number.
Housing is the single biggest driver of the gap
Housing costs in Laredo were specifically cited as running about 40% below the national average -- a much larger discount than most other cost categories, and the primary reason Laredo's overall index reads so far below 100 (ERI/SalaryExpert aggregation, retrieved 2026-08-22). Food costs ran about 12% below average and energy/transportation/healthcare costs about 11% below average in the same reporting.
A no-income-tax state, with property tax carrying more of the load
Texas has no state income tax, which benefits Laredo residents exactly as it does everywhere else in the state -- but Webb County's effective property tax rate (1.54%, per Ownwell) runs above the 1.02% national median, a real, partially-offsetting cost that should be budgeted alongside the otherwise-favorable cost-of-living picture (base record).
Key takeaways
- Laredo's overall cost of living runs roughly 12%-18% below the national average across BestPlaces, ERI/SalaryExpert, and C2ER-derived indices -- sources disagree on the exact figure but agree on the direction.
- Housing costs specifically run about 40% below the national average, the single biggest driver of the overall gap.
- No state income tax benefits Laredo residents, but Webb County's effective property tax rate (1.54%) runs above the national median -- a real, partially-offsetting cost.
- Food, energy, transportation, and healthcare costs each run roughly 11%-12% below the national average.
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