Cost of living in Ruidoso 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 Ruidoso 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 Ruidoso is 93, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Ruidoso is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Ruidoso ranks as the #31 cheapest in New Mexico out of 44.
Ruidoso ranks as the #2,137 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Ruidoso is $190,600.
The median income in Ruidoso is $45,414.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Ruidoso has an overall cost of living index of 93, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Mexico, Ruidoso has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than New Mexico's index of 94.
The standard of living in Ruidoso ranks as #31 most affordable out of the 44 places we measured in New Mexico. By definition, that implies Ruidoso ranks as the #13 most expensive place in the Land of Enchantment.
For more reading on life in Ruidoso, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Ruidoso. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Ruidoso is 88.
The Groceries index in Ruidoso is 96.
The Health index in Ruidoso is 97.
The Housing index in Ruidoso is 92.
The Transportation index in Ruidoso is 96.
The Utilities index in Ruidoso is 84.
Living Expense | Ruidoso | New Mexico | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 93 | 94 | 100 | |
Services | 88 | 97 | 100 | |
Groceries | 96 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 97 | 100 | 100 | |
Housing | 92 | 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 Ruidoso is $190,600.
The Median Rent in Ruidoso is $828.
The Median Income in Ruidoso is $45,414.
The Home Value To Income in Ruidoso is 4.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Ruidoso is 0.22x.
Statistic | Ruidoso | New Mexico | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $190,600 | $184,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $828 | $897 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $45,414 | $54,020 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 4.2x | 3.4x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Ruidoso | 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 | Ruidoso | 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 | Ruidoso | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $107.2 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $106.77 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $99.67 | $99.13 |
Item | Ruidoso | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.11 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $47.87 | $50.07 |
Item | Ruidoso | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $116.23 | $167.67 |
Phone | $184.9 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Ruidoso. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Alamogordo, NM has a cost of living index of 85, 0.9x Ruidoso.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Ruidoso |
---|---|---|---|
Alamogordo, NM | 31,201 | 85 | 0.9x |