Moving to New Mexico from Nebraska

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Nebraska to New Mexico? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Nebraska to New Mexico, you would find that New Mexico is 1.7% more expensive than Nebraska. A $75,000 salary in Nebraska would need to be roughly $77,027 in New Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Nebraska and New Mexico.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $77,027

To maintain the same standard of living in New Mexico

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.9% less

Groceries

pay 5.9% more

Transportation

pay 9.9% less

Housing

pay 4.4% more

Childcare

pay 7.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Nebraska.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NE
225
NM
745
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NE
1937
NM
2872

Nebraska performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

NE
7.1%
NM
9.3%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NE
37.4%
NM
32.2%

Nebraska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Mexico leads in adult obesity rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

NE
$223,800
NM
$232,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NE
$1,035
NM
$1,021

New Mexico generally does better on what about housing?, though Nebraska leads in median home value.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

NE
89.8%
NM
84.5%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NE
19 min
NM
23 min

Nebraska performs better than New Mexico across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NE
3.0%
NM
4.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NE
$73,391
NM
$56,008

Nebraska performs better than New Mexico across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NE
77.7 yrs
NM
74.5 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

NE
22%
NM
21%

Nebraska 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.

Lincoln Rain: 28.9 in/yr (735 mm)
63° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Santa Fe Rain: 15.7 in/yr (399 mm)
64° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lincoln Santa Fe
Jan–Mar 42°/20°F (6°/-7°C) 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) 73°/43°F (23°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/61°F (29°/16°C) 82°/53°F (28°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/28°F (11°/-2°C) 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Lincoln Santa Fe
Jan 35°/14°F (1.9°/-10.1°C) 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C)
Feb 40°/18°F (4.5°/-7.8°C) 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C)
Mar 52°/28°F (11.3°/-2.3°C) 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C)
Apr 64°/39°F (17.9°/3.8°C) 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C)
May 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.3°C) 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C)
Jun 84°/61°F (29.0°/16.1°C) 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C)
Jul 89°/66°F (31.7°/18.9°C) 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C)
Aug 87°/64°F (30.4°/17.7°C) 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C)
Sep 79°/53°F (25.9°/11.9°C) 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C)
Oct 66°/41°F (18.8°/4.8°C) 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C)
Nov 50°/28°F (10.2°/-2.4°C) 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C)
Dec 37°/16°F (2.9°/-8.7°C) 43°/19°F (6.2°/-7.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in New Mexico than Nebraska?

On average New Mexico is around 3% pricier than Nebraska, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to New Mexico?

Budget about $19,257 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?

Nebraska performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in New Mexico compared to Nebraska?

Nebraska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Mexico leads in adult obesity rate.

What's the weather like in New Mexico compared to Nebraska?

The average high temperature in Santa Fe is 64°F, compared to 63°F in Lincoln. Santa Fe receives around 15.7 in of rainfall per year, while Lincoln gets 28.9 in.

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