Bernalillo County · New Mexico
Cost of living in Albuquerque, 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
Living in Albuquerque, NM costs 4.5% below the national average — an all-items price level of 95.5. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $95,546 here.
- 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. |
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.
The median household in Albuquerque earns $62,634. Deflated by the local price level, that is $65,554 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 95.5.
More on Albuquerque
Same city, other datasets.
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.