Moving to Utah from New Mexico
What to Expect
Considering a move from New Mexico to Utah? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from New Mexico to Utah, you would find that Utah is 1.8% more expensive than New Mexico. A $75,000 salary in New Mexico would need to be roughly $74,188 in Utah to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between New Mexico and Utah.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $74,188
To maintain the same standard of living in Utah
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 1.5% less
Groceries
pay 6.7% less
Transportation
pay 42.3% more
Housing
pay 5.0% more
Childcare
pay 18.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.6% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Utah compared to New Mexico.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Utah 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
Utah 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 generally does better on what about housing?, though Utah leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Utah performs significantly 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
Utah 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
Utah 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 | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) | 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) | 87°/60°F (31°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) | 51°/32°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Santa Fe | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) | 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C) |
| Feb | 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C) |
| Mar | 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Apr | 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) | 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C) |
| May | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) | 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C) |
| Jun | 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) | 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) | 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C) |
| Aug | 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) | 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) | 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) | 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C) |
| Nov | 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 43°/19°F (6.2°/-7.4°C) | 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Utah than New Mexico?
Utah 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 Utah?
Budget about $18,547 for 3 months in Utah (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Utah safe?
Utah performs significantly better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Utah compared to New Mexico?
Utah generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Mexico leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Utah compared to New Mexico?
The average high temperature in Salt Lake City is 64°F, compared to 64°F in Santa Fe. Salt Lake City receives around 16.1 in of rainfall per year, while Santa Fe gets 15.7 in.
