Moving to New Mexico from Tennessee

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Tennessee to New Mexico, you would find that New Mexico is 1.2% cheaper than Tennessee. A $75,000 salary in Tennessee would need to be roughly $73,100 in New Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $73,100

To maintain the same standard of living in New Mexico

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 7.8% less

Groceries

pay 2.3% more

Transportation

pay 4.5% less

Housing

pay 9.9% less

Childcare

pay 2.4% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 14.1% 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 Tennessee.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
612
NM
745
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
2301
NM
2872

Tennessee 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

TN
9.5%
NM
9.3%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

TN
37.9%
NM
32.2%

New Mexico performs significantly better than Tennessee across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

TN
$256,800
NM
$232,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

TN
$1,122
NM
$1,021

New Mexico performs significantly better than Tennessee 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

TN
87.6%
NM
84.5%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

TN
26 min
NM
23 min

Tennessee 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

TN
3.4%
NM
4.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

TN
$60,177
NM
$56,008

Tennessee 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

TN
73.8 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

TN
20%
NM
21%

New Mexico performs significantly better than Tennessee 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.

Nashville Rain: 47.2 in/yr (1200 mm)
70° / 49°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Nashville Santa Fe
Jan–Mar 53°/33°F (12°/1°C) 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) 73°/43°F (23°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/66°F (30°/19°C) 82°/53°F (28°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 60°/40°F (16°/4°C) 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Nashville Santa Fe
Jan 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C) 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C)
Feb 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C) 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C)
Mar 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C) 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C)
Apr 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C) 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C)
May 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C) 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C)
Jun 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C) 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C)
Jul 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C)
Aug 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C)
Sep 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C) 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C)
Oct 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C) 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C)
Nov 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C) 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C)
Dec 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°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 Tennessee?

On average New Mexico is about 3% less expensive than Tennessee, with major cities narrowing the gap.

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

Budget about $18,275 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?

Tennessee performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in New Mexico compared to Tennessee?

New Mexico performs significantly better than Tennessee across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Santa Fe is 64°F, compared to 70°F in Nashville. Santa Fe receives around 15.7 in of rainfall per year, while Nashville gets 47.2 in.

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