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 | Lake Charles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $928/mo | $1,007/mo | 7.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $179,900 | $191,200 | 5.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $49,049 | $54,761 | 10.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 95.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 78.2 | 78.7 | ≈ 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 $100,329 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 $80,263 in Lake Charles to keep the same standard of living.