$100k salary, packing up from Virginia Beach

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Albuquerque, NM cityscape

instead of virginia beach

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

$318

less monthly outlay than Virginia Beach

The gap is real. Albuquerque costs noticeably less than Virginia Beach, every month.
landable, recorded on the albuquerque entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,489/mo

18% cheaper than Virginia Beach(vs $1,819/mo)

02state income tax

5.9%

$12/mo more in state tax than Virginia Beach

vs 5.75% in Virginia Beach

03after rent

$6,353/mo

$318 more than Virginia Beach

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

04a house here

$351k

6% cheaper than Virginia Beach

vs $375k in Virginia Beach

05metro size

924k

vs 1.8M in Virginia Beach

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

205

pleasant days a year, in albuquerque.

Virginia Beach edges ahead with 211 pleasant days. Hot stretches show up, though: 34 days above 95° here, 1 in Virginia Beach.

A month here packs 1.4× the events of Virginia Beach.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

81/100

42% higher than Virginia Beach

vs 57/100 in Virginia Beach

Closest outdoor draw: Sandia Mountain Wilderness, 13.4 mi.

·walk score®

94/100

7% higher than Virginia Beach

vs 88/100 in Virginia Beach

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

23

35% more than Virginia Beach

vs 17 nonstops in Virginia Beach

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