Cost of Living: Albuquerque, NM vs Houston, TX

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 $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 15.81% of gross in Albuquerque, NM versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Albuquerque, NM tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Albuquerque, NM
$4,230/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Albuquerque, NM
15.81%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Houston, TX
19.13%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Albuquerque, NM and Houston, TX.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Albuquerque, NM: 89.6 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Albuquerque, NM: $1,031/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Houston, TX is $217/mo higher than in Albuquerque, NM.

Median Home Price

Albuquerque, NM: $266,700 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Albuquerque, NM is $13,300 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

Albuquerque, NM: $65,604 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Albuquerque, NM has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $2,710.

Albuquerque, NM overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons