Cost of Living in New Orleans, LA (2026)

New Orleans's cost of living is 7% below the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $107,995 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

New Orleans has a cost-of-living index of 93 against a US average of 100 — about 7% below average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $107,995 at the national average.

What it costs to live in New Orleans

MeasureNew OrleansUS average
Cost-of-living index93100
Median rent$1,211/mo-
Median home value$296,400-
Median household income$55,339-
Population376,035-

Monthly cost breakdown in New Orleans

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$1,211$1,721
Transport$700$700
Food$551$551
Healthcare$346$346
Other$1,230$1,230
Total$4,038$4,548

Affordability in New Orleans

Median rent takes about 26.3% of the median household income in New Orleans — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 5.4x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in New Orleans

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Software Developer$116,750$126,084
Marketing Manager$114,270$123,406
Mechanical Engineer$102,010$110,166
Physical Therapist$100,260$108,276
Dental Hygienist$87,094$94,057
Registered Nurse$81,400$87,908
Data Scientist$79,870$86,255
Accountant$74,090$80,013

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for New Orleans’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

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Frequently asked questions

New Orleans has a cost-of-living index of 93 against a US average of 100, so it is about 7% below the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in New Orleans has roughly the purchasing power of $107,995 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At New Orleans's median rent of $1,211/month that implies about $48,440 a year before tax. The median household in New Orleans earns $55,339.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $4,038 a month in New Orleans across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $4,548 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in New Orleans costs $296,400, which is 5.4x the median household income of $55,339. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so New Orleans is expensive relative to local incomes.