$100k salary, packing up from Denver
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
below Denver's monthly cost
The gap is real. Albuquerque costs noticeably less than Denver, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,489/mo
20% cheaper than Denver(vs $1,863/mo)
5.9%
$125/mo more in state tax than Denver
vs 4.4% in Denver
$6,353/mo
$249 more than Denver
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$351k
41% cheaper than Denver
vs $599k in Denver
924k
vs 3.0M in Denver
field notes, weather & such.
205
pleasant days a year, in albuquerque.
Denver barely cracks 174 pleasant ones. Hot stretches show up, though: 34 days above 95° here, 8 in Denver.
91% fewer events than Denver. The pace eases up.
81/100
5% lower than Denver
vs 85/100 in Denver
Closest outdoor draw: Sandia Mountain Wilderness, 13.4 mi.
94/100
3% lower than Denver
vs 97/100 in Denver
23
86% fewer than Denver
vs 169 nonstops in Denver
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