Moving to New Mexico from Arizona
What to Expect
Considering a move from Arizona to New Mexico? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Arizona to New Mexico, you would find that New Mexico is 0.0% cheaper than Arizona. A $75,000 salary in Arizona would need to be roughly $71,927 in New Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Santa Fe averages 64°F vs 87°F in Phoenix, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Arizona and New Mexico.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $71,927
To maintain the same standard of living in New Mexico
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 10.3% less
Groceries
pay 7.4% more
Transportation
pay 11.2% less
Housing
pay 20.5% less
Childcare
pay 20.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.9% 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 Arizona.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Arizona 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
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Mexico leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
New Mexico performs significantly better than Arizona across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Arizona 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
Arizona performs better than New Mexico across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Arizona performs better than New Mexico 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 | Phoenix | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) | 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) | 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) | 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Phoenix | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) | 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) | 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) |
| Mar | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) |
| Apr | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) | 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) |
| May | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) |
| Jun | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) | 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) | 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) | 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) |
| Sep | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) | 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) |
| Nov | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) | 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) |
| Dec | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°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 Arizona?
On average New Mexico is about 4% less expensive than Arizona, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to New Mexico?
Budget about $17,982 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?
Arizona performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in New Mexico compared to Arizona?
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Mexico leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in New Mexico compared to Arizona?
The average high temperature in Santa Fe is 64°F, compared to 87°F in Phoenix. Santa Fe receives around 15.7 in of rainfall per year, while Phoenix gets 8.2 in.
