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 | New Orleans | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,162/mo | 33.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $281,500 | 63.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $51,116 | 69.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 95.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 78.3 | 9.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 97.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 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 Austin, you'd need $85,965 in New Orleans to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
New Orleans, LA is about 14% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% lower in New Orleans than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $68,772 in New Orleans to keep the same standard of living.