$100k a year, no longer in Boulder
changea 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.
in our guides
the verdict
cheaper each month than Boulder
Albuquerque is the easier version of your monthly budget. Lower rent, lighter monthly outlay.
a quick ledger.
$1,489/mo
33% cheaper than Boulder(vs $2,216/mo)
5.9%
$125/mo more in state tax than Boulder
vs 4.4% in Boulder
$6,353/mo
$602 more than Boulder
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$351k
55% cheaper than Boulder
vs $783k in Boulder
924k
vs 327k in Boulder
field notes, weather & such.
205
pleasant days a year, in albuquerque.
Boulder only manages 178 of those. Warm, not extreme: 34 days clear 95°, vs 13 back in Boulder.
A month here packs 7.0× the events of Boulder.
81/100
3% higher than Boulder
vs 79/100 in Boulder
Closest outdoor draw: Sandia Mountain Wilderness, 13.4 mi.
94/100
12% higher than Boulder
vs 84/100 in Boulder
23
86% fewer than Boulder
vs 169 nonstops in Boulder
same energy as albuquerque, different zip code:
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