Moving to New Mexico from Alabama
What to Expect
Considering a move from Alabama to New Mexico? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Alabama to New Mexico, you would find that New Mexico is 10.6% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $85,530 in New Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Santa Fe averages 64°F vs 76°F in Montgomery, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Alabama and New Mexico.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $85,530
To maintain the same standard of living in New Mexico
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.7% more
Groceries
pay 5.4% more
Transportation
pay 6.3% less
Housing
pay 15.7% more
Childcare
pay 16.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 18.3% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in New Mexico compared to Alabama.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Alabama performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
New Mexico generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Alabama performs better than New Mexico across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Alabama generally does better on infrastructure, though New Mexico leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Alabama generally does better on employment & economy, though New Mexico leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
New Mexico performs significantly better than Alabama across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Montgomery | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) | 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) | 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) | 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) | 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Montgomery | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) | 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) |
| Mar | 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) | 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) |
| Apr | 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) | 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) |
| May | 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) |
| Jun | 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) | 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) | 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) | 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) |
| Sep | 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) |
| Nov | 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) | 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) |
| Dec | 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) | 43°/19°F (6.2°/-7.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New Mexico than Alabama?
On average New Mexico is around 14% pricier than Alabama, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to New Mexico?
Budget about $21,382 for 3 months in New Mexico (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is New Mexico safe?
Alabama performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in New Mexico compared to Alabama?
New Mexico generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alabama leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in New Mexico compared to Alabama?
The average high temperature in Santa Fe is 64°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Santa Fe receives around 15.7 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.
