New Orleans, LA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

Cost Of Living In New Orleans, LA Summary

Cost of living in New Orleans 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 New Orleans 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 New Orleans is 100, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in New Orleans is 1.0x lower than the national average.

  • New Orleans ranks as the #93 cheapest in Louisiana out of 109.

  • New Orleans ranks as the #3,149 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in New Orleans is $255,500.

  • The median income in New Orleans is $45,594.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
100
New Orleans's Overall Cost Of Living
1.0x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in New Orleans, LA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, New Orleans has an overall cost of living index of 100, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Louisiana, New Orleans has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Louisiana's index of 92.

The standard of living in New Orleans ranks as #93 most affordable out of the 109 places we measured in Louisiana. By definition, that implies New Orleans ranks as the #16 most expensive place in the Pelican State.

For more reading on life in New Orleans, check out:

93 out of 109
In Louisiana
3,149 out of 6,412
In America

New Orleans Cost Of Living Vs. Louisiana

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in New Orleans. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in New Orleans is 104.

  • The Groceries index in New Orleans is 100.

  • The Health index in New Orleans is 118.

  • The Housing index in New Orleans is 103.

  • The Transportation index in New Orleans is 99.

  • The Utilities index in New Orleans is 76.

Living Expense New Orleans Louisiana National Average
Overall 100 92 100
Services 104 96 100
Groceries 100 96 100
Health 118 99 100
Housing 103 83 100
Transportation 99 96 100
Utilities 76 86 100
For more reading on cost of living around Louisiana, check out:
New Orleans Cost of Living Vs. LA

New Orleans, LA Housing Cost Breakdown

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 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in New Orleans is $255,500.

  • The Median Rent in New Orleans is $1,079.

  • The Median Income in New Orleans is $45,594.

  • The Home Value To Income in New Orleans is 5.6x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in New Orleans is 0.28x.

Statistic New Orleans Louisiana United States
Median Home Value $255,500 $174,000 $244,900
Median Rent $1,079 $923 $1,163
Median Income $45,594 $53,571 $69,021
Home Value To Income 5.6x 3.2x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.28x 0.21x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In New Orleans, LA
$255,500
Median Home Value
$1,079
Median Rent
$45,594
Median Income

New Orleans, LA Costs By Category

Detailed New Orleans Services Costs Vs. Louisiana

Item New Orleans Louisiana
Shampoo $0.96 $1.06
Movie $12.65 $10.68
Bowling $18.17 $14.67
Haircut $19.78 $18.62
Beauty Salon $48.89 $39.05

Detailed New Orleans Groceries Costs Vs. Louisiana

Item New Orleans Louisiana
Ground Beef $4.28 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.21 $1.39
Milk $2.3 $2.05
Potatoes $2.94 $3.29
Pizza $8.99 $10.62
Beer $9.59 $9.38
Toothpaste $2.26 $2.34

Detailed New Orleans Health Costs Vs. Louisiana

Item New Orleans Louisiana
Optometrist $94.77 $108.57
Doctor $156.11 $116.17
Dentist $111.89 $99.13

Detailed New Orleans Transportation Costs Vs. Louisiana

Item New Orleans Louisiana
Gasoline $2.02 $2.22
Tire Balancing $55.86 $50.07

Detailed New Orleans Utilities Costs Vs. Louisiana

Item New Orleans Louisiana
All Electricity $97.27 $167.67
Phone $180.18 $175.64

New Orleans SnackAbility

4
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
4/10
Housing
8
Affordability
3
Diversity
9
Safety
3
Amenities
9
Education
8
Commute
8

Cost Of Living In Cities Around New Orleans

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around New Orleans. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Metairie, LA has a cost of living index of 102, 1.0x New Orleans.

  • Kenner, LA has a cost of living index of 99, 1.0x New Orleans.

  • Marrero, LA has a cost of living index of 90, 0.9x New Orleans.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. New Orleans
Metairie, LA 140,590 102 1.0x
Kenner, LA 66,411 99 1.0x
Marrero, LA 31,928 90 0.9x
Terrytown, LA 25,388 96 1.0x
Chalmette, LA 21,981 94 0.9x
Harvey, LA 20,942 92 0.9x
Gretna, LA 17,836 97 1.0x
Estelle, LA 17,650 96 1.0x
Timberlane, LA 10,697 97 1.0x
Westwego, LA 8,538 90 0.9x

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