2023 Report: Cities in New Mexico where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How does living in the Land of Enchantment state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about New Mexico’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in New Mexico, doxo’s data reveals, pays $1,756 in bills per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 24 cities and towns across New Mexico, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in New Mexico and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on New Mexico’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
New Mexico residents pay $1,756 in household bills a month
The average New Mexico household pays $1,756 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
New Mexico residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 43rd out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Missouri ranks 42nd, with annual monthly expenses of $1,766, and South Dakota ranks 44th, at $1,743.
New Mexico’s household expenses, on average, are 14.2% lower than the national average of $2,046.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. New Mexico households spend 40% of their income on household bills.
Annually, New Mexico residents pay $17 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in New Mexico by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about New Mexico
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,756 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $17 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 43 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 40%
- Difference from the National Average: 14.2% lower
Housing bill category drives New Mexico’s low monthly bill expenses
The average New Mexico household pays $1,756 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Rent and mortgage expenses drive savings, with both being considerably lower than the national average. The average mortgage payment in New Mexico is $1,125, and average rent is $918, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,321 and rent bill of $1,191.
Other than housing-related expenses, auto loans are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for New Mexico residents. The average auto loan bill in New Mexico is $518 a month, compared to the national average of $467.
Compared to the national average, utilities are also a notably higher expense for residents of New Mexico. The average household in the state pays $357 a month for utilities, compared to the national average of $351.
Auto insurance, by contrast, is more affordable in New Mexico. While US residents on average spend $190 per month on car insurance, in New Mexico they spend just $207.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average New Mexico Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average New Mexico Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | New Mexico Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,125 | $1,321 | 15% lower |
| Rent | $918 | $1,191 | 23% lower |
| Auto Loan | $518 | $467 | 11% higher |
| Utilities | $357 | $351 | 2% higher |
| Auto Insurance | $190 | $207 | 8% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $109 | $118 | 8% lower |
| Health Insurance | $90 | $120 | 25% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $104 | $119 | 13% lower |
| Alarm & Security | $77 | $84 | 8% lower |
| Life Insurance | $73 | $89 | 18% lower |
| Total | $1,756 | $2,046 | 14.2% lower |
Los Alamos tops the list of most expensive cities for New Mexico’s household bills
Residents of Los Alamos pay the highest household bills in the state of New Mexico, at an average of $2,248 per month. Rio Rancho comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $1,994 on average per month.
In proportion to household income, however, Rio Rancho’s bills are costlier than ones in Los Alamos. While Rio Rancho’s monthly bill basket makes up 36% of average household income there, Los Alamos’s bill basket accounts for just 23% of average household income in that area.
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive New Mexico Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 24) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household* | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Los Alamos | $2,248 | 23% |
| 2 | Rio Rancho | $1,994 | 36% |
| 3 | Farmington | $1,948 | 43% |
| 4 | Edgewood | $1,937 | 37% |
| 5 | Santa Fe | $1,934 | 37% |
| 6 | Clovis | $1,892 | 47% |
| 7 | Aztec | $1,846 | 47% |
| 8 | Los Lunas | $1,799 | 41% |
| 9 | Albuquerque | $1,776 | 38% |
| 10 | Las Cruces | $1,754 | 44% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Anthony is the most affordable New Mexico city for household bills
Out of 24 cities and towns, Anthony is the most affordable place in New Mexico, with residents paying $1,361 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 49% of local income in Anthony.
Gallup comes in at the second most affordable town or city in New Mexico, with residents paying $1,407 per month on average.
Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in New Mexico are Las Vegas ($1,448 per month), Deming ($1,453 per month), and Alamogordo ($1,479 per month).
10 Most Affordable New Mexico Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (16-24 out of 24) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 16 | Hobbs | $1,644 | 33% |
| 17 | Roswell | $1,623 | 41% |
| 18 | Bloomfield | $1,613 | 38% |
| 19 | Belen | $1,514 | 39% |
| 20 | Silver City | $1,504 | 48% |
| 21 | Alamogordo | $1,479 | 38% |
| 22 | Deming | $1,453 | 51% |
| 23 | Las Vegas | $1,448 | 51% |
| 24 | Gallup | $1,407 | 38% |
| 25 | Anthony | $1,361 | 49% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare New Mexico’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.