Cost of living in Taos 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 Taos 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 Taos is 109, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Taos is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Taos ranks as the #39 cheapest in New Mexico out of 45.
Taos ranks as the #3,556 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Taos is $441,637.
The median income in Taos is $46,579.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Taos has an overall cost of living index of 109, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Mexico, Taos has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than New Mexico's index of 95.
The standard of living in Taos ranks as #39 most affordable out of the 45 places we measured in New Mexico. By definition, that implies Taos ranks as the #6 most expensive place in the Land of Enchantment.
For more reading on life in Taos, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Taos. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Taos is 100.
The Groceries index in Taos is 98.
The Health index in Taos is 98.
The Housing index in Taos is 134.
The Transportation index in Taos is 92.
The Utilities index in Taos is 97.
| Living Expense | Taos | New Mexico | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 109 | 95 | 100 | |
| Services | 100 | 96 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 96 | 100 | |
| Health | 98 | 95 | 100 | |
| Housing | 134 | 87 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 92 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 97 | 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 Taos is $441,637.
The Median Rent in Taos is $915.
The Median Income in Taos is $46,579.
The Home Value To Income in Taos is 9.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Taos is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Taos | New Mexico | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $441,637 | $311,815 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $915 | $1,021 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $46,579 | $62,125 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 9.5x | 5.0x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Taos | 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 | Taos | 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 | Taos | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $136.89 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $134.17 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $111.42 | $113.29 |
| Item | Taos | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.5 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $43.87 | $59.92 |
| Item | Taos | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $191.24 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.51 | $192.25 |