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 | Houston | Lake Charles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,007/mo | 22.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $191,200 | 22.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $54,761 | 10.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 98.7 | 0.9% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 106.5 | 94.8 | 12.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 100.5 | 3.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.9 | 94.8 | 4.1% 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 Houston, you'd need $81,540 in Lake Charles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lake Charles, LA is about 18.5% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 18% lower in Lake Charles than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $65,232 in Lake Charles to keep the same standard of living.