South ranking
10 Louisiana cities ranked by cost of living, cheapest first.
Index 72
Index 90
Sorted by cost-of-living index — lowest (most affordable) first.
| # | City | Cost index | Median rent | Median income | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monroe | 72 | $790/mo | $36,550 | 48K | Compare → |
| 2 | Lake Charles | 76 | $1,007/mo | $54,761 | 82K | Compare → |
| 3 | Shreveport | 76 | $945/mo | $45,967 | 186K | Compare → |
| 4 | Bossier City | 76 | $1,044/mo | $54,100 | 63K | Compare → |
| 5 | Alexandria | 76 | $928/mo | $49,049 | 45K | Compare → |
| 6 | Lafayette | 79 | $1,022/mo | $58,850 | 122K | Compare → |
| 7 | Baton Rouge | 85 | $1,010/mo | $50,155 | 226K | Compare → |
| 8 | Kenner | 89 | $1,085/mo | $60,557 | 66K | Compare → |
| 9 | Metairie | 90 | $1,120/mo | $72,070 | 140K | Compare → |
| 10 | New Orleans | 90 | $1,162/mo | $51,116 | 380K | Compare → |
So you're thinking about Louisiana. The strongest arguments for it are around louisiana is genuinely cheaper than most of the country and real low-cost-of-living options exist here, plus 1 more. Detail on each below.
Louisiana's cost-of-living average comes in around 81 on the composite index, about 19% below the national average. Housing is doing most of the work; groceries and services follow at smaller gaps. Average median rent across Louisiana cities runs about $1,011/mo.
Monroe ranks as Louisiana's most affordable city at a composite cost index of 72 (28% below US average). Worth a look as a baseline for the cost ceiling — most of the rest of the state's cities are more expensive than this, not less.
Living in Louisiana puts Gulf of Mexico coastline within driving range of most of the state. The practical upshot: weekend beach trips, easier access to seafood that hasn't been on a truck for a week, and a milder climate near the coast than the same latitude would have inland.
Reasons reflect aggregated city data for Louisiana (Census ACS, BLS, BEA) plus well-known state-level geography. We only list points that are actually supported — different states show different sections.
Across Louisiana, Monroe is the most affordable city we track (cost index 72, with median rent around $790/mo), while New Orleans sits at the top of the range with an index of 90—roughly 25% pricier than Monroe. Use the table above to compare any Louisiana city directly against Monroe.
The other end of the ranking — priciest first.