City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs Austin, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 2.6% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $102,600 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 19% in Albuquerque, NM.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,569 a year higher in Albuquerque, NM than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.7% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Austin, TX ($107,592 → $109,428), while prices change by +2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 98.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,637 in Austin | $97,430 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,562/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $56,950 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 120.4 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 98.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,569/yr.
61 Fair offer
Austin, TX → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,569/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Austin, TX is in Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Austin, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Austin, TX | Real change, Albuquerque → Austin |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $63,457 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $76,777 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $92,023 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $109,428 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $129,311 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Austin, TX | Austin pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $61,270 | $59,696 (−21.0%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $134,120 | $130,674 (+5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $83,120 | $80,984 (+1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $97,890 | $95,375 (−0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.