Cost of Living
per year
per month
How New Orleans's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in New Orleans?
Your $100,000 in New Orleans has the same purchasing power as $109,123 in the average US city. You'd need $9,123 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of New Orleans's cost index of 92, sorted by closest match.
New Orleans, Louisiana has a cost-of-living index of 92, which is 8% below the national average. The typical renter pays $1,162 per month. The median household earns $51,116 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $64,148 per year in New Orleans. Single renters typically want at least three times the $13,944 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
New Orleans is cheaper than most US cities. Overall prices are 8% below the national average.