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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 3 cities in New Mexico beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Las Cruces stands out at 75 on the index, with rent of $1,290/month and household income of $55,176. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
114,892 residents · New Mexico
What does daily life actually cost in Las Cruces? Start with the 28% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 75) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $55,176 and homes at $286,242 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
560,274 residents · New Mexico
In plain English: a closer look at Albuquerque: the cost index of 85 breaks down to a Housing index of 85 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 97 (weakest). Median rent is $1,457/month — 23% below the national median — while household income sits at $65,604, meaning locals spend about 27% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
110,660 residents · New Mexico
Dive into Rio Rancho's numbers: cost index 111 (0 points above national average), rent $1,902/month, income $85,755, and a home price of $356,585. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 102, while Housing runs 111. With 110,660 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
#1 Ranked: Las Cruces — cost index 75, rent $1,290/mo, income $55,176
2 of 3 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Cruces | 75 | $1,290 | Details |
| 2 | Albuquerque | 85 | $1,457 | Details |
| 3 | Rio Rancho | 111 | $1,902 | Details |
The numbers are clear: 2 of 3 cities in New Mexico beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Las Cruces stands out at 75 on the index, with rent of $1,290/month and household income of $55,176. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Why Las Cruces ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 75 on the cost index, residents save roughly 36% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,290/month while the median household pulls in $55,176/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 75, though Healthcare (95) lags behind. Home prices average $286,242 — $181,128 below the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. And in most cases, 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. It lines up with what you'd expect. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
Las Cruces ranks #1 in New Mexico for this analysis with a cost index of 75 and median income of $55,176.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Las Cruces (ranked #1) has a cost index of 75 and rent of $1,290/mo, while Rio Rancho (ranked #3) has a cost index of 111 and rent of $1,902/mo — a 36-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Las Cruces is $1,290/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $605 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Las Cruces is $286,242, which is 5.2× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
New Mexico has a 5.9% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.595%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.67%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.