City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs El Paso, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Albuquerque, NM are 6.3% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $106,300 in Albuquerque, NM to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,185 a month in Albuquerque, NM versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Albuquerque, NM and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,569 a year higher in Albuquerque, NM than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Albuquerque, NM to El Paso, TX ($107,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | El Paso, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 89.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,103 in El Paso | $106,266 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,013/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $39,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and El Paso, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | El Paso |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 71.2 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 82.6 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 89.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,569/yr.
88 Strong offer
El Paso, TX → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,569/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; El Paso, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to El Paso, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | El Paso, TX | Real change, Albuquerque → El Paso |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $61,722 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $74,678 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $89,508 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $106,437 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $125,776 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | El Paso, TX | El Paso pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $63,800 | $67,798 (−10.2%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $127,310 | $135,287 (+9.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $65,990 | $70,125 (−12.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $86,100 | $91,495 (−4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.