2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Bakersfield, CA vs Taos, NM

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Taos or is it cheaper to live in Bakersfield?
- Taos is 3.8% less expensive than Bakersfield.

Which city has more affordable housing, Taos or Bakersfield?
- Taos housing costs are 7.4% more expensive than Bakersfield housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Bakersfield or is Health Care more affordable in Taos.
- Health related expenses are 7.8% less in Taos.
 Bakersfield, CATaos, NMUnited States
 Overall  Unlock96.0100
 Food & Groceries99.0  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock84.5100
 Housing106.7  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$386,900$338,100
 Utilities112  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock73.8100
 Miscellaneous111.2  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Bakersfield    75 Reviews

I am a millennial, born and raised here. As someone who wrestled with staying for years, there are a lot of valid reasons to not come to Bakersfield. Air quality, summer  More

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Over 4 years ago

I have lived here all of my life. 40+ years. It used to be fun and kinda safe but now it is so scary to go outside. We are literally a homeless dumping ground and there  More

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I moved here from Seattle 25 years ago, when it had a population of 200,000, and practically the only place to get coffee was a place called “Duke’s Ranch”. Why did I  More

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Reviews for Taos    6 Reviews

I’ve traveled to many places in my lifetime. New Mexico is a favorite. Typically we stay in The Inn of The Governor’s in Santa Fe. (It’s an awesome place.) This  More

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Over 16 years ago

Taos is beautiful with much to offer. However, housing is very expensive. Because much of the town's economy focuses on tourism, there are few jobs available in other  More

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Over 16 years ago

Taos has a diverse culture which has helped create a diverse art market with over 100 galleries and studios. From traditional native arts to contemporary, Taos has it  More

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