Can A Chef Afford Rent in Portales, NM?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 17.9% of gross income.
Portales rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (New Mexico state estimate).
About rent and a chef salary
Chef pay varies sharply by restaurant type, with executive chefs at high-end establishments earning materially above the BLS mean. At the national-average chef salary, the 30% rule supports about $1,604 a month in rent.
Compare with full rent data for Portales
View full rent data for Portales, NM →Frequently asked questions
Can a chef afford rent in Portales, NM?
Median rent in Portales is $862 a month. A typical chef in New Mexico earns about $57,735 a year, which makes that rent 17.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a chef afford in Portales?
Using the 30% rule, a chef salary in New Mexico (~$57,735/yr) supports up to $1,443 a month in rent. Portales's current median rent is $862/mo, which leaves a $581/mo buffer.
How many hours does a chef work to cover rent in Portales?
At an hourly equivalent of about $28 an hour, a chef in New Mexico works roughly 31.1 hours a month to cover Portales's median rent of $862.