same $100k income, fresh start from Boston

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Albuquerque, NM cityscape

if you left boston

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

$1,581

cheaper each month than Boston

Albuquerque is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
landable, recorded on the albuquerque entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,489/mo

53% cheaper than Boston(vs $3,145/mo)

02state income tax

5.9%

$75/mo more in state tax than Boston

vs 5% in Boston

03after rent

$6,353/mo

$1,581 more than Boston

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

04a house here

$351k

54% cheaper than Boston

vs $771k in Boston

05metro size

924k

vs 4.9M in Boston

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

205

pleasant days a year, in albuquerque.

Boston only manages 160 of those. Warm, not extreme: 34 days clear 95°, vs 2 back in Boston.

Lighter on events: Boston packs 4.0× more into a month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

81/100

14% higher than Boston

vs 71/100 in Boston

Closest outdoor draw: Sandia Mountain Wilderness, 13.4 mi.

·walk score®

94/100

4% lower than Boston

vs 98/100 in Boston

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

23

78% fewer than Boston

vs 103 nonstops in Boston

04 · see also

neighbors of albuquerque on the map of tradeoffs:

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