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 | Chicago | New Orleans | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,162/mo | 13.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $281,500 | 8.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $51,116 | 40.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 99.6 | 2.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 96.7 | 4.5% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 83.9 | 17.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 98.1 | 0.7% lower 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 Chicago, you'd need $92,567 in New Orleans to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
New Orleans, LA is about 7.4% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% lower in New Orleans than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $74,053 in New Orleans to keep the same standard of living.