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.
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:
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Item | New Orleans | Louisiana |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $94.77 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $156.11 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $111.89 | $99.13 |
Item | New Orleans | Louisiana |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.02 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $55.86 | $50.07 |
Item | New Orleans | Louisiana |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $97.27 | $167.67 |
Phone | $180.18 | $175.64 |
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 |