Is it cheaper to live in Fort Worth or Santa Fe?

Santa Fe, NM is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,310 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 6% below Fort Worth, TX's $1,390, mainly because of natural gas costs.

How much more do you need to earn to live in Fort Worth than in Santa Fe?

To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $48,000 a year in Fort Worth versus $47,000 in Santa Fe.

Which has lower taxes, Fort Worth or Santa Fe?

Fort Worth is taxed under Texas's rules (no state income tax and a 6.25% state sales tax); Santa Fe under New Mexico's (a top state income tax rate of 5.90% and a 4.875% state sales tax).

Fort Worth vs Santa Fe Cost of Living 2026

Fort Worth

Texas

$1,390/mo est.

Santa Fe

New Mexico

$1,310/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,390 in Fort Worth, TX versus $1,310 in Santa Fe, NM. Overall, Santa Fe, NM is roughly 6% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Fort Worth, TX, driven mainly by natural gas costs.

Median household income is $76,602 in Fort Worth, TX and $70,110 in Santa Fe, NM — about 8% higher in Fort Worth, TX. Texas has no state income tax and a 6.25% state sales tax; New Mexico has a top state income tax rate of 5.90% and a 4.875% state sales tax.

Fort Worth, TX

Santa Fe, NM

Rent

Studio

$1,310

$969

+26% in Fort Worth, TX

1 Bedroom

$1,191

$1,167

+2% in Fort Worth, TX

2 Bedroom

$1,393

$1,559

+12% in Santa Fe, NM

3 Bedroom

$1,721

$1,733

+1% in Santa Fe, NM

Buying a Home

Median Home Value

$277,300

$411,500

+48% in Santa Fe, NM

Income

Median Household Income

$76,602

$70,110

+8% in Fort Worth, TX

Metro Median Wage (annual)

$51,440

$48,710

+5% in Fort Worth, TX

People & Lifestyle

Median Age

33.4 yr

46.4 yr

+13.0 yr in Santa Fe, NM

Homeownership

56.7%

62.8%

+6.1 pp in Santa Fe, NM

Bachelor's+ (25+)

31.7%

45.4%

+13.7 pp in Santa Fe, NM

Avg Commute

26.9 min

20.2 min

+6.7 min in Fort Worth, TX

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime

465.2

843.3

+81% in Santa Fe, NM

Property Crime

2,735.7

5,189

+90% in Santa Fe, NM

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature

65.7°F

51.9°F

+13.8°F in Fort Worth, TX

Annual Precipitation

36.1 in

13.5 in

+22.6 in in Fort Worth, TX

Gas

Regular Gasoline

$3.62/gal

about equal

Area: Texas vs Gulf Coast (PADD 3).

Public Transit

Base Fare (one-way)

$2.00

—

Adult base one-way fare — Trinity Metro vs — (2026).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)

16.4

14.1

+14% in Fort Worth, TX

Natural Gas ($/MCF)

$30.48

$11.90

+61% in Fort Worth, TX

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)

$4.00

$4.82

+20% in Santa Fe, NM

Bread (lb)

$1.75

$2.04

+17% in Santa Fe, NM

Eggs (doz)

$2.21

$2.19

+1% in Fort Worth, TX

Ground Beef (lb)

$6.45

$7.36

+14% in Santa Fe, NM

Chicken (lb)

$1.90

$2.01

+6% in Santa Fe, NM

Bananas (lb)

$0.62

$0.70

+14% in Santa Fe, NM

Average prices — South vs West (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (TX / NM)

6.25%

4.875%

+1.4 pp in TX

Income Tax (top rate)

None

5.90%

+5.9 pp in NM

Fort Worth vs Santa Fe — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Fort Worth or Santa Fe?: Santa Fe, NM is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,310 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 6% below Fort Worth, TX's $1,390, mainly because of natural gas costs.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Fort Worth than in Santa Fe?: To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $48,000 a year in Fort Worth versus $47,000 in Santa Fe.
Which has lower taxes, Fort Worth or Santa Fe?: Fort Worth is taxed under Texas's rules (no state income tax and a 6.25% state sales tax); Santa Fe under New Mexico's (a top state income tax rate of 5.90% and a 4.875% state sales tax).

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).