Cost of living in Las Cruces 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 Las Cruces 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 Las Cruces is 89, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Las Cruces is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Las Cruces ranks as the #26 cheapest in New Mexico out of 44.
Las Cruces ranks as the #1,460 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Las Cruces is $167,800.
The median income in Las Cruces is $47,722.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Las Cruces has an overall cost of living index of 89, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Mexico, Las Cruces has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than New Mexico's index of 94.
The standard of living in Las Cruces ranks as #26 most affordable out of the 44 places we measured in New Mexico. By definition, that implies Las Cruces ranks as the #18 most expensive place in the Land of Enchantment.
For more reading on life in Las Cruces, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Las Cruces. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Las Cruces is 92.
The Groceries index in Las Cruces is 95.
The Health index in Las Cruces is 100.
The Housing index in Las Cruces is 81.
The Transportation index in Las Cruces is 96.
The Utilities index in Las Cruces is 84.
Living Expense | Las Cruces | New Mexico | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 89 | 94 | 100 | |
Services | 92 | 97 | 100 | |
Groceries | 95 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
Housing | 81 | 88 | 100 | |
Transportation | 96 | 96 | 100 | |
Utilities | 84 | 91 | 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 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Las Cruces is $167,800.
The Median Rent in Las Cruces is $824.
The Median Income in Las Cruces is $47,722.
The Home Value To Income in Las Cruces is 3.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Las Cruces is 0.21x.
Statistic | Las Cruces | New Mexico | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $167,800 | $184,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $824 | $897 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $47,722 | $54,020 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.5x | 3.4x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Las Cruces | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.96 | $1.06 |
Movie | $10.74 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $12.38 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $19.3 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $34.66 | $39.05 |
Item | Las Cruces | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.98 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.17 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.16 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.46 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.01 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.13 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.33 | $2.34 |
Item | Las Cruces | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $107.2 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $106.77 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $99.67 | $99.13 |
Item | Las Cruces | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.11 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $47.87 | $50.07 |
Item | Las Cruces | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $116.23 | $167.67 |
Phone | $184.9 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Las Cruces. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
El Paso, TX has a cost of living index of 88, 1.0x Las Cruces.
Sunland Park, NM has a cost of living index of 88, 1.0x Las Cruces.
Chaparral, NM has a cost of living index of 85, 1.0x Las Cruces.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Las Cruces |
---|---|---|---|
El Paso, TX | 676,395 | 88 | 1.0x |
Sunland Park, NM | 16,488 | 88 | 1.0x |
Chaparral, NM | 14,098 | 85 | 1.0x |
Anthony, NM | 8,748 | 85 | 1.0x |
Santa Teresa, NM | 6,037 | 93 | 1.0x |