Overall
- Midland
- 95.8
- Albuquerque
- 95.5
Diff -0.2 RPP
Midland vs Albuquerque
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Albuquerque is 0.2% less expensive than Midland.
0.2% less expensive
Albuquerque, NM is 0.2% less expensive than Midland, TX on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 95.5 vs 95.8). A $100,000 salary in Midland buys about the same as $99,753 in Albuquerque; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 95.8 (Midland) vs 95.5 (Albuquerque)
- $100k in Midland ≈ $99,753 purchasing power in Albuquerque
- Rents drives the gap (-12.3 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair TX:NM 95.8→95.5
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE TX × NM
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Midland
95.8
Cost Index
Albuquerque
95.5
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Midland, TX and Albuquerque, NM are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.2 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Albuquerque is 12.3 points lower. But goods move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Midland corresponds to $99,753 in Albuquerque.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Midland
- 93.8
- Albuquerque
- 96.1
Diff +2.4 RPP
Services
- Midland
- 83.2
- Albuquerque
- 77.9
Diff -5.4 RPP
Rents
- Midland
- 101.5
- Albuquerque
- 89.2
Diff -12.3 RPP
| Category | Midland | Albuquerque | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 95.8 | 95.5 | -0.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.1 | +2.4 |
| Services | 83.2 | 77.9 | -5.4 |
| Rents | 101.5 | 89.2 | -12.3 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Midland 95.8
Albuquerque 95.5
Goods
Midland 93.8
Albuquerque 96.1
Services
Midland 83.2
Albuquerque 77.9
Rents
Midland 101.5
Albuquerque 89.2
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Midland would need to be in Albuquerque for the same purchasing power:
| In Midland | In Albuquerque | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,876 | $-124 |
| $75,000 | $74,814 | $-186 |
| $100,000 | $99,753 | $-247 |
| $150,000 | $149,629 | $-371 |
$ in Midland = in Albuquerque
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (95.8 → 95.5), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Albuquerque more expensive than Midland?
Albuquerque is 0.2% less expensive than Midland. The overall cost index is 95.5 vs 95.8 (national average = 100).
What salary in Albuquerque equals $100K in Midland?
A $100,000 salary in Midland has the same purchasing power as $99,753 in Albuquerque. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Midland and Albuquerque?
Rents in Midland are indexed at 101.5 while Albuquerque is at 89.2 (national average = 100). Midland has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.