Cost of living in Los Alamos research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Los Alamos is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in New Mexico, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Los Alamos is 114, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Los Alamos is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Los Alamos ranks as the #41 cheapest in New Mexico out of 45.
Los Alamos ranks as the #4,023 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Los Alamos is $582,687.
The median income in Los Alamos is $136,502.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Los Alamos has an overall cost of living index of 114, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Mexico, Los Alamos has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than New Mexico's index of 95.
The standard of living in Los Alamos ranks as #41 most affordable out of the 45 places we measured in New Mexico. By definition, that implies Los Alamos ranks as the #4 most expensive place in the Land of Enchantment.
For more reading on life in Los Alamos, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Los Alamos. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Los Alamos is 99.
The Groceries index in Los Alamos is 98.
The Health index in Los Alamos is 95.
The Housing index in Los Alamos is 151.
The Transportation index in Los Alamos is 94.
The Utilities index in Los Alamos is 100.
| Living Expense | Los Alamos | New Mexico | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 114 | 95 | 100 | |
| Services | 99 | 96 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 96 | 100 | |
| Health | 95 | 95 | 100 | |
| Housing | 151 | 87 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 94 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 100 | 89 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in New Mexico, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Los Alamos is $582,687.
The Median Rent in Los Alamos is $1,304.
The Median Income in Los Alamos is $136,502.
The Home Value To Income in Los Alamos is 4.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Los Alamos is 0.11x.
| Statistic | Los Alamos | New Mexico | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $582,687 | $311,815 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,304 | $1,021 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $136,502 | $62,125 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.3x | 5.0x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.11x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Los Alamos | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.15 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $12.54 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $20.89 | $18 |
| Haircut | $31.9 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $50.83 | $45.56 |
| Item | Los Alamos | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.11 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.32 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.63 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.18 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.42 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.07 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.62 | $3.7 |
| Item | Los Alamos | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $136.89 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $134.17 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $111.42 | $113.29 |
| Item | Los Alamos | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.5 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $43.87 | $59.92 |
| Item | Los Alamos | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $191.24 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.51 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Los Alamos. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Rio Rancho, NM has a cost of living index of 103, 0.9x Los Alamos.
Santa Fe, NM has a cost of living index of 111, 1.0x Los Alamos.
Bernalillo, NM has a cost of living index of 95, 0.8x Los Alamos.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Los Alamos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Rancho, NM | 106,533 | 103 | 0.9x |
| Santa Fe, NM | 88,224 | 111 | 1.0x |
| Bernalillo, NM | 9,068 | 95 | 0.8x |
| Eldorado at Santa Fe, NM | 5,746 | 130 | 1.1x |
| White Rock, NM | 5,568 | 119 | 1.0x |