City comparison
Alexandria, LA is about 90 miles (150 km) from Lake Charles, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Alexandria, LA to Lake Charles, LA takes about 10 min, covering roughly 90 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Lake Charles has a population of 82,430, vs 45,133 in Alexandria — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Lake Charles covers about 47 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Alexandria.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Lake Charles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $928/mo | $1,007/mo | 8.5% higher in Lake Charles |
| Median home value | $179,900 | $191,200 | 6.3% higher in Lake Charles |
| Median household income | $49,049 | $54,761 | 11.6% higher in Lake Charles |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 73.2 | 73.8 | 0.8% higher in Lake Charles |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 96.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.6 | 95.6 | ≈ 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 $99,399 in Lake Charles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Alexandria and Lake Charles have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Alexandria, you'd need about $79,519 in Lake Charles to keep the same standard of living.