City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 8.5% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $108,500 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, 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 Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.2% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Olympia, WA ($107,592 → $119,630), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,503 in Olympia | $92,164 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,682/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% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,569/yr.
44 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,569/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Olympia, WA | Real change, Albuquerque → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $69,373 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $83,935 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $100,602 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $119,630 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $141,367 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $104,650 | $96,449 (+27.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $124,060 | $114,338 (−7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $94,470 | $87,067 (+9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $125,020 | $115,223 (+20.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.