Moving to Illinois from New Mexico

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from New Mexico to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 10.1% more expensive than New Mexico. A $75,000 salary in New Mexico would need to be roughly $75,228 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $75,228

To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 0.3% more

Groceries

pay 3.6% less

Transportation

pay 34.2% more

Housing

pay 6.3% more

Childcare

pay 25.6% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.5% 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 Illinois compared to New Mexico.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NM
745
IL
306
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NM
2872
IL
1697

Illinois performs significantly 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

NM
9.3%
IL
6.8%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NM
32.2%
IL
34.6%

Illinois 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

NM
$232,200
IL
$250,500
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NM
$1,021
IL
$1,227

New Mexico performs better than Illinois across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

NM
84.5%
IL
89.6%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NM
23 min
IL
28 min

New Mexico generally does better on infrastructure, though Illinois leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NM
4.2%
IL
4.8%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NM
$56,008
IL
$70,691

Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though New Mexico leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

NM
21%
IL
26%

Illinois 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Springfield Rain: 37.4 in/yr (951 mm)
63° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santa Fe Springfield
Jan–Mar 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) 74°/52°F (23°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) 83°/61°F (29°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) 52°/33°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
Month Santa Fe Springfield
Jan 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C)
Feb 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C)
Mar 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C)
Apr 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C)
May 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C)
Jun 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C)
Jul 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C)
Aug 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C)
Sep 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C)
Oct 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C)
Nov 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C)
Dec 43°/19°F (6.2°/-7.4°C) 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than New Mexico?

Illinois and New Mexico are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.

How much money do I need to move to Illinois?

Budget about $18,807 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Illinois safe?

Illinois performs significantly better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Illinois compared to New Mexico?

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

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

The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 64°F in Santa Fe. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Santa Fe gets 15.7 in.

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