Moving to New Mexico from Utah
What to Expect
Considering a move from Utah to New Mexico? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Utah to New Mexico, you would find that New Mexico is 4.4% more expensive than Utah. A $75,000 salary in Utah would need to be roughly $75,821 in New Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Utah and New Mexico.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $75,821
To maintain the same standard of living in New Mexico
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.1% more
Groceries
pay 10.2% more
Transportation
pay 14.0% less
Housing
pay 4.5% less
Childcare
pay 22.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.2% 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
The numbers behind daily life in New Mexico compared to Utah.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Utah performs 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 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 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 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 | Salt Lake City | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C) | 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/60°F (31°/16°C) | 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/32°F (10°/0°C) | 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Salt Lake City | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C) | 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C) | 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) |
| Mar | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) |
| Apr | 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C) | 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) |
| Jun | 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C) | 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C) | 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C) | 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) |
| Sep | 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C) | 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C) | 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) |
| Dec | 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C) | 43°/19°F (6.2°/-7.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New Mexico than Utah?
New Mexico and Utah 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 New Mexico?
Budget about $18,955 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?
Utah performs better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in New Mexico compared to Utah?
Utah generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Mexico leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in New Mexico compared to Utah?
The average high temperature in Santa Fe is 64°F, compared to 64°F in Salt Lake City. Santa Fe receives around 15.7 in of rainfall per year, while Salt Lake City gets 16.1 in.
