City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 9.4% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $109,400 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 19% in Albuquerque, NM.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $356 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Albuquerque, NM.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Albuquerque, NM to New Haven, CT ($107,592 → $125,431), while prices change by +9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.5% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,433 in New Haven | $91,380 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$356/yr.
41 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$356/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | New Haven, CT | Real change, Albuquerque → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $72,737 | +6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $88,005 | +6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $105,481 | +6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $125,431 | +6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $148,222 | +6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $79,820 | $72,940 (−3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $133,040 | $121,572 (−1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $94,960 | $86,774 (+8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $104,490 | $95,483 (−0.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.