How Much Does Off-Campus Housing Cost Near UNM?

Off-campus housing near UNM costs about $750 to $1,200 a month for a studio or one-bedroom you rent alone, based on Find My Place listings in October 2026. Union 505 has the cheapest studio at $746, and a shared room or by-the-bed spot near campus usually runs $600 to $900 per person. Add $40 to $120 a month for utilities.

Key Takeaways

• $746 is the lowest whole-unit rent near UNM right now: a studio at Union 505 on Locust Place NE.
• Shared rooms and by-the-bed spots near campus usually run $600 to $900 per person.
• One-bedrooms within two miles of campus list from $794 (The Citadel) to $1,897 (Olympus Highlands North, the outlier).
• UNM's own 2026-27 budget assumes off-campus students spend $14,750 a year on housing and food, more than the $12,471 it sets for living on campus.
• Buses are free. Every ABQ RIDE route, including the ART line on Central, is zero fare.

What UNM Off-Campus Housing Costs in 2026

UNM off-campus housing runs from $746 for a studio to around $1,200 for a one-bedroom in most buildings near campus. Most two-bedrooms land between $1,181 and $1,450 for the whole unit. Here's what each building on the off-campus housing near UNM page lists, closest first:

• Olympus Highlands North, 200 Mulberry St NE (0.8 mi): one-bedroom $1,897, two-bedrooms $2,299 to $2,354.
• The Citadel at 1520 University Blvd (1.0 mi) is the value pick, with one-bedrooms from $794 and most units at $944.
• Union 505, 801 Locust Place NE (1.5 mi): studio $746, one-bedroom $1,018, two-bedroom $1,181, loft $1,201, two-bed townhome $1,638.
• Lobo Village on Avenida Cesar Chavez (1.5 mi) lists its four-bedroom, four-bath plan at $769.
• University Village Living, 1901 University Blvd SE (1.8 mi): studios at $800 on a 12-month lease, $850 for six months, $900 for three.
• Peaks at Los Ranchos, 6134 Fourth Street NW (4.4 mi): one-bedrooms $1,125 to $1,150, two-bedrooms $1,399 to $1,450.

All six name UNM's main campus in their commute widget. Distances are straight from those widgets.

Per Person or Per Unit? Reading the Lobo Village Price

Ask before you assume. Lobo Village lists one price, $769, for a four-bedroom, four-bath unit, and the listing doesn't say whether that's per bed or for the whole apartment.

Context helps a little. Find My Place's UNM page puts a typical shared or by-the-bed spot near campus at $600 to $900 per person, and $769 sits right in that band. A whole four-bedroom, four-bath apartment for $769 would cost about the same as one studio across town. So per person is the likely read. Get it in writing anyway.

Everywhere else the math is easy. At Union 505 rent climbs with every bedroom you add ($746 studio, $1,181 two-bedroom), which tells you these are whole-unit prices. Split that two-bedroom with a roommate and you're each paying about $591.

Shorter Leases Cost More Near UNM

A shorter lease near UNM costs $50 to $100 more a month. University Village Living on University Blvd SE spells it out: the same studio is $800 on a 12-month lease, $850 on a six-month lease, and $900 on a three-month lease.

That's useful if you're only in Albuquerque for one semester, a summer internship, or a co-op term. A six-month studio there runs $5,100 total. Six months on a 12-month lease you can't get out of? Far worse.

For a full school year, though, take the 12-month price and plan to sublease the summer. Saving $50 a month for twelve months is $600 back in your pocket.

UNM Off-Campus Housing Cost vs. Living on Campus

A double in a UNM traditional hall (Coronado, Alvarado, Santa Clara or Hokona) costs $6,000 for the 2026-27 academic year, and a single apartment bedroom in SRC or Redondo Village is $8,550, per UNM Housing's rates page. Those are academic-year room rates, fall and spring only.

Off campus, a 12-month lease on the $746 Union 505 studio comes to $8,952. That's close to the SRC single, except you get your own kitchen, your own bathroom, and the summer.

Here's the surprise. UNM's 2026-27 cost of attendance budgets $14,750 for housing and food off campus, versus $12,471 on campus. Financial aid literally expects you to spend more by moving out. If you land a $600 to $700 room with a roommate, you'll beat that budget comfortably.

Utilities, Fees and the Free Bus

Plan on $40 to $120 a month in utilities near UNM, depending on whether your building caps them or bills them separately. That range comes from Find My Place's UNM page. (Albuquerque summers make the cooling bill the one to watch.)

None of the six listings has posted its fees. Each one says so under the price. Ask about admin fees, parking, and trash before you apply; our list of hidden fees in student apartment leases covers the rest.

Transportation is the line item you can mostly delete. The City of Albuquerque says all ABQ RIDE transit services are zero fare, including the ART rapid bus down Central Avenue. That makes a place 4.4 miles out, like Peaks at Los Ranchos, more workable than it sounds (still, a car helps out there).

Frequently Asked Questions About UNM Off-Campus Housing Cost

How much is rent near UNM?

$746 to about $1,200 for a studio or one-bedroom, based on Find My Place listings in October 2026. Shared rooms and by-the-bed spots near campus usually run $600 to $900 per person.

What's the cheapest apartment near UNM?

Union 505's studio, at $746 a month. The Citadel's cheapest one-bedroom is close behind at $794, and it's only a mile from campus on University Boulevard.

Is it cheaper to live off campus at UNM?

It can be. A traditional double on campus is $6,000 for the school year, which is hard to beat. But a $600 to $700 shared room, plus free buses, puts you under UNM's own $14,750 off-campus budget for housing and food.

Do I need a car to live off campus near UNM?

Not along the University Boulevard and Central corridors. ABQ RIDE is free, and five of the six listed buildings are within two miles of campus.

Are utilities included in UNM-area apartments?

Sometimes, with caps. Budget $40 to $120 a month and ask each building whether utilities are capped, flat-rate, or billed separately.