Pima County, AZ vs Bernalillo County, NM: Cost of Living Difference

Is it cheaper?

Bernalillo County, NM is cheaper than Pima County, AZ.

Moving to Bernalillo County, NM is estimated to save $435 per year.

Cheaper cost of living

Cheaper County

Bernalillo County, NMSave about $435 per year.

Salary needed

$50,000 in Pima County, AZ is about $49,510 in Bernalillo County, NM.

Biggest drivers

Healthcare increases by $725 per year. Transport saves $781 per year.

Housing: $556 lower in Bernalillo County, NM

Taxes: $273 higher in Bernalillo County, NM

Childcare: about the same in both counties

Healthcare: $725 higher in Bernalillo County, NM

Food: $58 higher in Bernalillo County, NM

Transport: $781 lower in Bernalillo County, NM

Pima County, AZBernalillo County, NM
Equivalent salary in Bernalillo County, NM
$49,510
-0.98% lower
Current salary: $50,000
Household: 1 adult · 0 children
Median Income in Pima County, AZ: $87,639
Median Income in Bernalillo County, NM: $84,404
Living Index in Pima County, AZ 50.69%
Living Index in Bernalillo County, NM 52.11%

This estimate matches your purchasing power (equivalent salary) when moving from Pima County, AZ to Bernalillo County, NM.

* Living index is estimated as (estimated total cost / area median income) * 100. A living index above 100% means modeled costs exceed median income.

Cost of Living Breakdown by Category

Summary

Moving from Pima County, AZ to Bernalillo County, NM is estimated to save $435 per year. A $50,000 salary in Pima County, AZ would have similar purchasing power to about $49,510 in Bernalillo County, NM. The largest savings come from transport and housing.

This is a 0.98% decrease in modeled annual costs. Transport is $781 per year lower (6.48%); Housing is $556 per year lower (4.92%).

Below we break down the annual categories behind the difference using Economic Policy Institute 2026 Family Budget data.

What changed the most?

The following cards show the annual category differences that most affect the move to Bernalillo County, NM.

Biggest Cost
Largest annual cost increase when moving to Bernalillo County, NM
Annual Increase:

$725 per year

HEALTHCARE has the largest annual increase when moving to Bernalillo County, NM.

Biggest Savings
Largest annual savings when moving to Bernalillo County, NM
Annual Savings:

$781 per year

TRANSPORT has the largest annual savings when moving to Bernalillo County, NM.

Breakdown of price percentages per category.

Numbers are average costs per section.

CategoryDifference
Housing-4.92% lower
Food1.43% higher
Transport-6.48% lower
Healthcare15.71% higher
Other Costs-3.23% lower
Childcare0.00% higher
Taxes3.57% higher

In Bernalillo County, NM, modeled annual costs are $43,985 compared with $44,420 in Pima County, AZ.

Overall, annual costs are lower in Bernalillo County, NM. The category breakdown above shows where the move creates the most room in the budget.

In this case Bernalillo County, NM and Pima County, AZ are both metropolitan locations.

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How WatchPennies calculates salary needed
Pima, AZ vs Bernalillo, NM Cost Difference