Bernalillo County · New Mexico
Albuquerque cost of living (NM)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Albuquerque, NM, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Albuquerque costs 4.5% below the national average — all-items price level 95.5, rank 67 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $95,546 here. Utilities is the reason, at 77.9.
- All items
- 95.5US average = 100
- Housing
- 89.210.8% below the national average
- Goods
- 96.13.9% below the national average
- Other services
- 98.51.5% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 96.1 | -3.9% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 89.2 | -10.8% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 77.9 | -22.1% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 98.5 | -1.5% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Albuquerque price level
What the 95.5 figure actually means for a household here.
Albuquerque prices sit 4.5% below the US average — an all-items parity of 95.5, rank 67 of 94 covered metros. Moderately below average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Utilities drives it: 77.9, 22.1% below average. Other services pull the other way at 98.5. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 20.7 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Albuquerque do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $95,546 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $62,634 median household income in Albuquerque is worth $65,554 in national-average dollars, 16.5% below the $78,538 US median. Local pay does not cover the local price level.
Parities are published for Albuquerque, NM as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Albuquerque, NM
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (95.5 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $65,554
- Needed to match US average
- $59,844
- Monthly difference
- $-232
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$62,634 median household income in Albuquerque is worth $65,554 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 95.5.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Albuquerque expensive?
- No — 4.5% below the US average, rank 67 of 94 covered metros. utilities is the component furthest from average at 77.9.
- What salary do you need to live in Albuquerque, NM?
- $95,546 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $62,634, worth $65,554 after adjusting for the 95.5 price level.
- Why is the cost of living low in Albuquerque?
- Utilities at 77.9 versus other services at 98.5. A 20.7-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Albuquerque data
Other Albuquerque datasets on this site.
- Albuquerque population and income
- Albuquerque sales tax rate
- Albuquerque property tax
- Albuquerque home values and rent
- Albuquerque crime rates
- Albuquerque public schools
- Albuquerque weather normals
- Albuquerque commute times
- Albuquerque jobs and wages
Statewide: New Mexico cities · New Mexico ZIP codes · New Mexico sales tax · New Mexico counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Albuquerque, NM. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.