$100k a year, no longer in Austin

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Albuquerque, NM cityscape

if you left austin

Albuquerque

nm · metro 924k

photo: Lad Fury / pexels

a dispatch from

albuquerque

NM

35.08°N

106.65°W

Albuquerque is green chile on everything, the Sandia Mountains turning pink at sunset (the name literally means watermelon), and the Balloon Fiesta in October when 500+ hot air balloons fill the sky. The old town adobes feel like the 1700s, the food fuses Native, Mexican, and Spanish in ways you won't get anywhere else. Breaking Bad fans will recognize half the city, and locals are good-natured about it.

metro924k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$397

the monthly cost of moving past Austin

Albuquerque runs a little pricier than Austin. The case has to be about something other than rent.
landable, recorded on the albuquerque entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,489/mo

6% cheaper than Austin(vs $1,583/mo)

02state income tax

5.9%

$492/mo more in state tax than Austin

vs 0% in Austin

03after rent

$6,353/mo

$397 less than Austin

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$351k

19% cheaper than Austin

vs $433k in Austin

05metro size

924k

vs 2.5M in Austin

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

205

pleasant days a year, in albuquerque.

Austin barely cracks 170 pleasant ones.

But the calendar thins out: Austin stays 2.9× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

81/100

45% higher than Austin

vs 56/100 in Austin

Closest outdoor draw: Sandia Mountain Wilderness, 13.4 mi.

·walk score®

94/100

5% lower than Austin

vs 99/100 in Austin

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

23

45% fewer than Austin

vs 42 nonstops in Austin

04 · see also

cities that play in albuquerque's register:

see also

spartanburg

$5/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

greenville

more things to do

turn the page

see also

spokane

$460/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare albuquerque with:

SpartanburgGreenvilleSpokane