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 | Austin | Lake Charles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,007/mo | 53.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $191,200 | 141.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $54,761 | 58.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 97.8 | 6.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 94.3 | 8.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 80.8 | 13.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 93.2 | 18.4% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $78,074 in Lake Charles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lake Charles, LA is about 21.9% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% lower in Lake Charles than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $62,459 in Lake Charles to keep the same standard of living.