Best Cheap Auto Insurance in Santa Fe, New Mexico (2023)

The average monthly cost of car insurance in Santa Fe is $115, lower than the New Mexico average of $125. 

Santa Fe is a vibrant city with a rich history, comfortable weather, and good food. While Santa Fe is the state capital, the city itself has a small geographical footprint, which makes it quite walkable and could result in fewer cars on the road. And as a Sante Fe resident, that means lower car insurance rates for you.

Here’s how to get the best car insurance for you at the lowest price possible in Santa Fe.

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Best car insurance companies in Santa Fe

The cost of car insurance varies between insurers, as each company uses a slightly different formula to determine insurance rates. Insurance companies can consider factors like your driving record, the car you drive, your marital status, and your age to determine the price of insurance they offer.

Ultimately, the insurance company that’s right for you will depend on your specific situation,

Best insurer for full coverage: State Farm

Best insurer for liability-only coverage: Dairyland

Best insurer for military members: USAA

Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Santa Fe

If you get into a car accident and it’s your fault, liability car insurance will cover the medical expenses and damages you cause to the other party. However, liability insurance won’t cover your own medical bills or damages. As such, liability-only insurance is usually the most affordable type of coverage.

The below table shows a list of insurance companies with low quotes for liability-only car insurance in Santa Fe.

Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Santa Fe

Full-coverage car insurance provides the same protections as liability but also covers damages sustained by your vehicle. Full-coverage car insurance typically includes collision and comprehensive coverages. Collision coverage applies to an accident with another vehicle or object. Comprehensive coverage includes protection for damage caused by fire, earthquakes, hitting a deer, or other acts of God.

The insurers below offer the best quotes for full-coverage car insurance in Santa Fe.

Car insurance requirements in New Mexico

To drive legally in New Mexico, you must have coverage that meets the following minimum requirements:^[1]

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident

An incident can include a speeding ticket, an at-fault accident, or a driving under the influence (DUI) conviction. Some insurance companies in Santa Fe will refuse you coverage if you have too many incidents on your record. Others specialize in writing car insurance policies for drivers with multiple accidents and are referred to as high-risk or non-standard companies.^[2]

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Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket

If you have a speeding ticket on your driving record, you’re likely to pay higher insurance premiums. The amount your insurance will increase depends on your insurer, your location, and how many speeding tickets you have.

Santa Fe drivers with a speeding ticket pay an overall monthly average of $166 for car insurance. The table below provides you a look at quotes from top insurers in Santa Fe for drivers with speeding tickets.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident

If you get in an accident and it’s your fault, you can expect your premium to increase. How much it increases will vary between companies, but you can expect the increase to remain for three years following your insurance claim. If you have multiple accidents or other incidents on your record, your insurance company may decide not to renew your policy.^[3]

In Santa Fe, you might pay an overall average of around $174 per month for car insurance if you have an at-fault accident on your record. The table below lists the cheapest insurance companies for Santa Fe drivers with an at-fault accident.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI

Alcohol-related fatalities are the largest contributor to traffic deaths in New Mexico, and alcohol is involved in 40% of all fatal crashes.^[4] In Santa Fe, it’s illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.02% if you’re younger than 21 or 0.08% if you’re older than 21. Driving while under the influence can result in fines, loss of license, higher insurance rates, and possible jail time. 

If you have a DUI on your record, your insurance premiums will rise dramatically, and some insurers may drop you altogether. If you have a DUI on your record, you could pay as much as $197 per month for car insurance, on average.

The table below lists different monthly quotes from companies who insure drivers with a DUI.

Cheapest car insurance for seniors

Driver age is one of the key factors that determines the cost of auto insurance. Teenagers and drivers younger than 25 typically pay higher insurance rates, and once you’re in your 30s, you can expect rates to go down. 

However, as drivers age into their 70s, rates begin to rise again since older drivers have higher crash rates than middle-aged drivers and are more likely to need additional medical assistance than younger drivers.

Senior drivers in Santa Fe pay an overall monthly average of $77 for car insurance. This table lists the cheapest car insurance quotes for seniors.

Cheapest car insurance for teens

Teens have crash rates nearly three times as high as drivers 20 and older.^[5] As a result, teens also pay some of the highest car insurance rates. Car insurance costs $224 per month overall for teens and young drivers in Santa Fe.

To try to keep insurance costs down, you can look for insurers that offer good student discounts or reward teens who take a driver’s training course. If you have a teen driver, adding them to your policy is also typically cheaper than your teen purchasing their own policy.

Here are the most affordable quotes for teen drivers.

How to get the cheapest car insurance in Santa Fe

If you’re trying to secure the cheapest car insurance in Santa Fe, a variety of factors can affect the cost of insurance. To find the best value, consider the following tips:

• Comparison shop. Spend some time researching and comparing various companies to find the best auto insurance rate for your needs.

• Drive a safer car. The type of vehicle you drive matters. If you own an expensive car or truck, it can cost more to insure. How safe your car is also matters. Some insurance companies offer discounts if you have a car with high-quality safety features.

• Keep a clean driving record. Speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, and other incidents can drive up the cost of insurance. If you want to find the best deal on car insurance, don’t speed, don’t text and drive, and don’t drive under the influence.

• Improve your credit score. When you apply for car insurance, lenders in Santa Fe might look at your credit score as a way to assess how likely you are to make your payments. A good or excellent credit score can help you secure the lowest rates.

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Santa Fe car insurance quotes by credit tier

The state of New Mexico allows insurers to consider credit scores as part of the car insurance application process. Having a good or excellent credit score can help reduce the cost of car insurance. A poor credit score can make it more challenging to find cheap car insurance, but if you’re willing to shop around, you can still find reasonable coverage.

The chart below lists the average monthly quotes in Santa Fe according to credit tiers.

Is car insurance more expensive in Santa Fe?

Santa Fe customers enjoy lower rates for car insurance than the national average. The annual average for full-coverage insurance in Santa Fe is $1,375, while the national annual average for full coverage is $1,668, according to Insurify’s recent report on car insurance pricing.

The average cost of car insurance in Santa Fe is also lower than the state average. When accounting for liability-only and full coverage, the average monthly cost for insurance in Santa Fe is $115 per month versus an average of $125 across New Mexico.

Car insurance rates vary by city, however, based on population density, crime rates, and weather patterns.

Compared to other state capitals, Santa Fe’s full-coverage insurance rates rank lower. For example, residents in Phoenix pay $237, people in Austin pay $217, and drivers in Salt Lake City pay $190 for full coverage.

More cities in New Mexico

Car insurance rates can also vary between cities in the same state. On average, Santa Fe residents pay $160 per month for full-coverage insurance. The table below highlights how Santa Fe’s full-coverage insurance prices stack up to other cities in New Mexico.

Santa Fe car insurance FAQs