Moving to New Mexico from California
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from California to New Mexico — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from California to New Mexico, you would find that New Mexico is 18.6% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $58,893 in New Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Santa Fe averages 64°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly cooler. How your spending power changes when you relocate from California to New Mexico. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $58,893 To maintain the same standard of living in New Mexico The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 15.9% less Groceries pay 11.7% less Transportation pay 26.6% less Housing pay 28.7% less Childcare pay 31.0% less Entertainment and Sports pay 15.7% less Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources. How California and New Mexico stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year California performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke California performs better than New Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied New Mexico performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work California generally does better on infrastructure, though New Mexico leads in average commute. 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 California generally does better on employment & economy, though New Mexico leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree California 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Generally yes: New Mexico runs about 21% cheaper than California on average, though it depends heavily on the city. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $14,723 in New Mexico for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. California performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics. California performs better than New Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Santa Fe is 64°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Santa Fe receives around 15.7 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Sacramento Santa Fe Jan–Mar 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) Apr–Jun 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) Jul–Sep 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) Oct–Dec 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) View all months
Month Sacramento Santa Fe Jan 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) Feb 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) Mar 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) Apr 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) May 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) Jun 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) Jul 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) Aug 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) Sep 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) Oct 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) Nov 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) Dec 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 43°/19°F (6.2°/-7.4°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New Mexico than California?
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What's the weather like in New Mexico compared to California?
