Moving to New Mexico from Iowa
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iowa to New Mexico — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iowa to New Mexico, you would find that New Mexico is 6.0% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $83,961 in New Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iowa to New Mexico.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $83,961
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 2.3% more
Groceries
pay 14.2% more
Transportation
pay 0.6% more
Housing
pay 15.2% more
Childcare
pay 3.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.1% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iowa to New Mexico.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa 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
Iowa 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
Iowa 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
Iowa performs better than New Mexico across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iowa 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
Iowa generally does better on family life, though New Mexico leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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 | Des Moines | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°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 Iowa?
No — New Mexico is on average about 12% more expensive than Iowa. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to New Mexico?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,990 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?
Iowa performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in New Mexico compared to Iowa?
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Mexico leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in New Mexico compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Santa Fe is 64°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Santa Fe receives around 15.7 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
