City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 1.8% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $101,800 in Madison, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 19% in Albuquerque, NM.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $350 a year higher in Madison, WI than in Albuquerque, NM.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Madison, WI ($107,592 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,822 in Madison | $98,210 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,482/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $58,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Madison, WI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$350/yr.
63 Fair offer
Madison, WI → Albuquerque, NM
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$350/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Madison, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Madison, WI | Real change, Albuquerque → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $61,722 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $74,678 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $89,508 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $106,437 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $125,776 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $63,690 | $62,550 (−17.2%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $130,630 | $128,292 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $81,130 | $79,678 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $101,190 | $99,379 (+3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.