City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 4.7% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $104,700 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 19% in Albuquerque, NM.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,569 a year higher in Albuquerque, NM than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.3% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Palm Bay, FL ($107,592 → $107,228), while prices change by +4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,667 in Palm Bay | $95,541 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,569/yr.
55 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,569/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Albuquerque → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $62,181 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $75,233 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $90,173 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $107,228 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $126,711 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $62,510 | $59,723 (−20.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $131,760 | $125,885 (+1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $75,860 | $72,478 (−9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $80,900 | $77,293 (−19.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.