City comparison
Monroe, LA is about 200 miles (350 km) from Port Arthur, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Monroe, LA to Port Arthur, TX takes about 25 min, covering roughly 200 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Port Arthur has a population of 55,897, vs 47,631 in Monroe — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Port Arthur covers about 76 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Monroe.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Monroe | Port Arthur | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $790/mo | $938/mo | 18.7% higher in Port Arthur |
| Median home value | $158,200 | $91,500 | 72.9% higher in Monroe |
| Median household income | $36,550 | $45,357 | 24.1% higher in Port Arthur |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.2 | ≈ equal (Port Arthur slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 74.3 | 84.2 | 13.3% higher in Port Arthur |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 96.6 | ≈ equal (Port Arthur slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.6 | 96.1 | ≈ equal (Port Arthur slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Monroe, you'd need $117,132 in Port Arthur to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Monroe, LA is about 14.6% cheaper overall than Port Arthur, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 60% higher in Port Arthur than in Monroe. If you earn $80,000 in Monroe, you'd need about $93,706 in Port Arthur to keep the same standard of living.