City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs Bremerton, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 10.5% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $110,500 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 19% in Albuquerque, NM.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,569 a year higher in Albuquerque, NM than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.2% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Bremerton, WA ($107,592 → $119,630), while prices change by +10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | Bremerton, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 105.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,530 in Bremerton | $90,473 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,548/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $63,200 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Bremerton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 129.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 92.0 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 105.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,569/yr.
39 Weak offer
Bremerton, WA → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,569/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Bremerton, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Bremerton, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Bremerton, WA | Real change, Albuquerque → Bremerton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $69,373 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $83,935 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $100,602 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $119,630 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $141,367 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Bremerton, WA | Bremerton pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $102,650 | $92,871 (+23.0%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $146,200 | $132,272 (+6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $88,250 | $79,843 (−0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $107,220 | $97,005 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.