City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Alexandria | Lafayette | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $928/mo | $1,022/mo | 9.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $179,900 | $234,900 | 23.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $49,049 | $58,850 | 16.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 95.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 78.2 | 78.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 97.2 | 97.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.4 | 95.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Alexandria, you'd need $103,138 in Lafayette to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Alexandria, LA is about 3% cheaper overall than Lafayette, LA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% lower in Alexandria than in Lafayette. If you earn $80,000 in Alexandria, you'd need about $82,510 in Lafayette to keep the same standard of living.