Cost of Living: Albuquerque, NM vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,230/mo in Albuquerque, NM versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 15.81% of gross in Albuquerque, NM versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Albuquerque, NM tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Albuquerque, NM
$4,230/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Albuquerque, NM
15.81%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Chicago, IL
20.28%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Albuquerque, NM and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Albuquerque, NM
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Albuquerque, NM
  • Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
  • Higher median household income: Albuquerque, NM

Cost of Living Index

Albuquerque, NM: 89.6 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

Albuquerque, NM has a lower cost-of-living index than Chicago, IL, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Albuquerque, NM: $1,031/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $292/mo higher than in Albuquerque, NM.

Median Home Price

Albuquerque, NM: $266,700 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Albuquerque, NM is $118,900 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Albuquerque, NM: $65,604 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Albuquerque, NM has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $8,789.

Albuquerque, NM overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons