Cost of living in Monroe research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Monroe is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Louisiana, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Monroe is 87, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Monroe is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Monroe ranks as the #20 cheapest in Louisiana out of 106.
Monroe ranks as the #777 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Monroe is $147,829.
The median income in Monroe is $36,521.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Monroe has an overall cost of living index of 87, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Louisiana, Monroe has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Louisiana's index of 90.
The standard of living in Monroe ranks as #20 most affordable out of the 106 places we measured in Louisiana. By definition, that implies Monroe ranks as the #86 most expensive place in the Pelican State.
For more reading on life in Monroe, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Monroe. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Monroe is 86.
The Groceries index in Monroe is 94.
The Health index in Monroe is 104.
The Housing index in Monroe is 80.
The Transportation index in Monroe is 86.
The Utilities index in Monroe is 79.
| Living Expense | Monroe | Louisiana | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 87 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 86 | 94 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 94 | 93 | 100 | |
| Health | 104 | 100 | 100 | |
| Housing | 80 | 80 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 86 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 79 | 83 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Louisiana, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Monroe is $147,829.
The Median Rent in Monroe is $823.
The Median Income in Monroe is $36,521.
The Home Value To Income in Monroe is 4.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Monroe is 0.27x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Monroe. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Ruston, LA has a cost of living index of 90, 1.0x Monroe.
West Monroe, LA has a cost of living index of 82, 0.9x Monroe.
Claiborne, LA has a cost of living index of 90, 1.0x Monroe.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Monroe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruston, LA | 22,224 | 90 | 1.0x |
| West Monroe, LA | 12,837 | 82 | 0.9x |
| Claiborne, LA | 12,647 | 90 | 1.0x |
| Bastrop, LA | 9,408 | 78 | 0.9x |