CostIndexUSA

Albuquerque, NM vs St. Louis, MO Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostNM
Albuquerque
95.5
overall index
$1,525/mo rent
MO
St. Louis
95.1
overall index
$1,400/mo rent

Albuquerque and St. Louis have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing11.4%
Albuquerque
89.2
St. Louis
79
🛒 Groceries+4.1%
Albuquerque
96.1
St. Louis
100
🚗 Transportation≈ Equal
Albuquerque
103.5
St. Louis
103.6
🏥 Healthcare≈ Equal
Albuquerque
93.6
St. Louis
93.7
Utilities10.3%
Albuquerque
77.9
St. Louis
69.9

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Albuquerque to see what you'd need to earn in St. Louis to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
Equivalent salary in St. Louis, MO
$79,700
$300 less needed in St. Louis

Formula: salary × (95.1 ÷ 95.5) = salary × 0.9958. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Albuquerque, NM

Median Home Price
$340,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,525
Housing Index
89.2
Price-to-Rent Ratio
18.6×

St. Louis, MO

Median Home Price
$262,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,400
Housing Index
79
Price-to-Rent Ratio
15.6×

Albuquerque has 11.4% lower housing costs compared to St. Louis.

Income & Job Market

Albuquerque, NM

Median Household Income
$67,600
Per Capita Income
$38,500
Unemployment Rate
4.5%
Population
564,559
Top Industries
GovernmentHealthcareEducationMilitaryTechnology

St. Louis, MO

Median Household Income
$78,200
Per Capita Income
$44,600
Unemployment Rate
3.6%
Population
319,294
Top Industries
HealthcareFinanceManufacturingTechnologyEducation

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Albuquerque, NM
3.7×income-to-rent ratio

73% of income left after rent (median)

St. Louis, MO
4.7×income-to-rent ratio

79% of income left after rent (median)

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.