City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 3.2% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $103,200 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, 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 Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.1% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Houston, TX ($107,592 → $122,749), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.5% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,227 in Houston | $96,874 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,323/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,569/yr.
59 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,569/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Houston, TX | Real change, Albuquerque → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $71,181 | +10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $86,123 | +10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $103,225 | +10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $122,749 | +10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $145,052 | +10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $64,500 | $62,484 (−17.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $129,440 | $125,394 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $85,090 | $82,430 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $99,830 | $96,709 (+0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.