Albuquerque's median home price sits at $310,000, 26% below the $420,000 national median. On a $57,000 median household income, that puts the price-to-income ratio at 5.4x, or 5.4 years of gross pay for the purchase price alone.
Albuquerque's 0.72% property tax rate runs below the 1.1% national average. That's $186/month on the median home here, not a rounding error against the mortgage payment.
Between the $1,931/month mortgage payment and New Mexico's state income tax, your real housing cost calculation needs your after-tax number, not your gross salary.
Beyond housing, Albuquerque's cost of living index sits at 90 (national average = 100), running below the national baseline for groceries, transportation, and everyday services.
Albuquerque's median home price runs 40% lower than nearby Santa Fe: $520,000 there versus $310,000 here.