Moving to New Mexico from Rhode Island

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Rhode Island to New Mexico — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Rhode Island to New Mexico, you would find that New Mexico is 12.2% cheaper than Rhode Island. A $75,000 salary in Rhode Island would need to be roughly $60,069 in New Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Rhode Island to New Mexico.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $60,069

To maintain the same standard of living in New Mexico

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 15.0% less

Groceries

pay 16.8% less

Transportation

pay 29.0% less

Housing

pay 25.1% less

Childcare

pay 22.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 9.7% less

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

How Rhode Island and New Mexico stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

RI
165
NM
745
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

RI
1102
NM
2872

Rhode Island 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

RI
4.2%
NM
9.3%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

RI
31.6%
NM
32.2%

Rhode Island performs better than New Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

RI
$368,800
NM
$232,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

RI
$1,273
NM
$1,021

New Mexico performs significantly better than Rhode Island 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

RI
90.8%
NM
84.5%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

RI
26 min
NM
23 min

Rhode Island generally does better on infrastructure, though New Mexico leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

RI
4.4%
NM
4.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

RI
$56,938
NM
$56,008

Rhode Island 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

RI
78.2 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

RI
26%
NM
21%

Rhode Island 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.

Providence Rain: 47.2 in/yr (1198 mm)
61° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Providence Santa Fe
Jan–Mar 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) 73°/43°F (23°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) 82°/53°F (28°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Providence Santa Fe
Jan 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C)
Feb 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C)
Mar 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C)
Apr 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C)
May 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C)
Jul 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C)
Aug 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C)
Sep 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C)
Oct 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C)
Nov 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C)
Dec 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.2°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 Rhode Island?

Generally yes: New Mexico runs about 20% cheaper than Rhode Island on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

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

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $15,017 in New Mexico for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is New Mexico safe?

Rhode Island performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in New Mexico compared to Rhode Island?

Rhode Island performs better than New Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Santa Fe is 64°F, compared to 61°F in Providence. Santa Fe receives around 15.7 in of rainfall per year, while Providence gets 47.2 in.

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