same $100k income, fresh start from Portland
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
lighter monthly cost than Portland
Not a fortune, but real money. Albuquerque runs cheaper than Portland month over month.
a quick ledger.
$1,489/mo
16% cheaper than Portland(vs $1,781/mo)
5.9%
$237/mo less in state tax than Portland
vs 8.75% in Portland
$6,353/mo
$530 more than Portland
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$351k
38% cheaper than Portland
vs $562k in Portland
924k
vs 2.5M in Portland
field notes, weather & such.
205
pleasant days a year, in albuquerque.
Portland only manages 178 of those. Warm, not extreme: 34 days clear 95°, vs 7 back in Portland.
Portland hosts 2.9× more events.
81/100
7% lower than Portland
vs 87/100 in Portland
Closest outdoor draw: Sandia Mountain Wilderness, 13.4 mi.
94/100
6% lower than Portland
vs 100/100 in Portland
23
60% fewer than Portland
vs 57 nonstops in Portland
cities that play in albuquerque's register:
compare albuquerque with:
