Uprootmap
Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
Uprootmap
Albuquerque skyline
Quintin Soloviev. CC BY 4.0. Photo source · License
Ames
User:Raivena. CC BY 3.0. Photo source · License

Albuquerque vs Ames

$38/mo more in Ames

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

AlbuquerqueAmesAbout 837 miles apart, a flight.

  • Ames leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • Real winters

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,394/mo in Ames. $2,356/mo in Albuquerque. +$456 a year.

Albuquerque

$2,356

left each month

Ames

$2,394

+$38 vs Albuquerque

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Ames wins 3 of 4Albuquerque 1 · ties 0
$5,385Take-home · Albuquerque$4,870
$1,119Rent · Ames$760
$1,910Other bills · Ames$1,716
$2,356Left over · Ames$2,394

Next

+$38 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthAlbuquerqueAmes
Less leftMore left
Ames · this breakdownAlbuquerque · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Albuquerque, NM and Ames, IA
Per monthAlbuquerqueAmesDifference
Gross pay$7,000$6,199−$801
Income and payroll tax$1,615$1,328−$286
Take-home pay$5,385$4,870−$515
Rent$1,119$760−$359
Getting around$547$457−$90
Groceries$376$347−$29
Healthcare$423$391−$32
Utilities$235$217−$18
Everything else$329$304−$25
Left over$2,356$2,394+$38

Salary to match Albuquerque

$73,500

Gross pay in Ames that leaves the same amount as $84,000 in Albuquerque.

Tax difference

+$587

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.1% in Albuquerque, 21.4% in Ames.

More about Ames

Albuquerque, NM in full

High desert, 278 sunny days, and housing that's still cheap.

Ames, IA in full

A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $905 and 207 sunny days; commutes average 19 minutes.

The other way

Start in Ames.

Ames → Albuquerque →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Ames than Albuquerque?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Ames leaves about $38 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,119 in Albuquerque and $760 in Ames.

Does Ames have state income tax?

Ames is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Albuquerque to Ames?

The paycheck is taxed in Iowa. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Albuquerque and Ames changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.