Moving to New Mexico from Illinois
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Illinois to New Mexico — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Illinois to New Mexico, you would find that New Mexico is 6.0% cheaper than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly $74,773 in New Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Illinois to New Mexico.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $74,773
To maintain the same standard of living in New Mexico
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 0.1% more
Groceries
pay 5.4% more
Transportation
pay 17.9% less
Housing
pay 4.3% less
Childcare
pay 19.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.2% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Illinois to New Mexico.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Illinois 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
Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Mexico leads in adult obesity 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 Illinois across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Illinois 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
Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though New Mexico leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Illinois 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 | Springfield | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) | 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) | 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) | 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) | 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Springfield | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) | 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) | 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) |
| Mar | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) | 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) |
| Apr | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) | 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) |
| Jun | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) | 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) | 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) | 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) |
| Sep | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) | 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) |
| Nov | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) | 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) |
| Dec | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°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 Illinois?
Costs in New Mexico and Illinois are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to New Mexico?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,693 in New Mexico on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is New Mexico safe?
Illinois performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in New Mexico compared to Illinois?
Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Mexico leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in New Mexico compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in Santa Fe is 64°F, compared to 63°F in Springfield. Santa Fe receives around 15.7 in of rainfall per year, while Springfield gets 37.4 in.
