City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 2.9% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $102,900 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,185 a month in Albuquerque, NM and $1,213 in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,501 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Albuquerque, NM.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +23.7% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Merced, CA ($107,592 → $133,060), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +20.2% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,856 in Merced | $97,223 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,501/yr.
60 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,501/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Merced, CA | Real change, Albuquerque → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $77,161 | +20.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $93,358 | +20.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $111,896 | +20.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $133,060 | +20.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $157,236 | +20.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $100,120 | $97,340 (+28.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $132,120 | $128,451 (+3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $80,420 | $78,187 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $131,620 | $127,965 (+33.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.