Moving to Colorado from New Mexico
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from New Mexico to Colorado — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from New Mexico to Colorado, you would find that Colorado is 16.7% more expensive than New Mexico. A $75,000 salary in New Mexico would need to be roughly $86,904 in Colorado to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from New Mexico to Colorado.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $86,904
To maintain the same standard of living in Colorado
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 16.3% more
Groceries
pay 2.3% more
Transportation
pay 45.2% more
Housing
pay 27.7% more
Childcare
pay 10.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.0% 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 New Mexico to Colorado.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Colorado performs significantly 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
Colorado performs significantly better than New Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
New Mexico performs better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
New Mexico generally does better on infrastructure, though Colorado leads in internet access.
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
Colorado performs significantly 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
Colorado performs significantly 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 | Santa Fe | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) | 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) | 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) | 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) | 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Santa Fe | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) | 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) |
| Feb | 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) | 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) | 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) |
| Apr | 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) | 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) |
| May | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) | 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) | 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) |
| Jul | 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) | 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) |
| Aug | 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) | 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) | 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) | 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) |
| Nov | 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) | 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) |
| Dec | 43°/19°F (6.2°/-7.4°C) | 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Colorado than New Mexico?
No — Colorado is on average about 16% more expensive than New Mexico. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Colorado?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,726 in Colorado on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Colorado safe?
Colorado performs significantly better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Colorado compared to New Mexico?
Colorado performs significantly better than New Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Colorado compared to New Mexico?
The average high temperature in Denver is 65°F, compared to 64°F in Santa Fe. Denver receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Santa Fe gets 15.7 in.
