Cost of Living: New Orleans, LA vs Lake Charles, LA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,268/mo in New Orleans, LA versus $4,268/mo in Lake Charles, LA. In the model, rent is about 17.64% of gross in New Orleans, LA versus 15.89% in Lake Charles, LA, so Lake Charles, LA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in New Orleans, LA
$4,268/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Lake Charles, LA
$4,268/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in New Orleans, LA
17.64%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Lake Charles, LA
15.89%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between New Orleans, LA and Lake Charles, LA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): New Orleans, LA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Lake Charles, LA
  • Lower home prices: Lake Charles, LA
  • Higher median household income: Lake Charles, LA

Cost of Living Index

New Orleans, LA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100) · Lake Charles, LA: 100 (U.S. = 100)

New Orleans, LA has a lower cost-of-living index than Lake Charles, LA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

New Orleans, LA: $1,151/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Lake Charles, LA: $1,036/mo

Median rent in New Orleans, LA is $115/mo higher than in Lake Charles, LA.

Median Home Price

New Orleans, LA: $296,400 · Lake Charles, LA: $204,000

Median home price in New Orleans, LA is $92,400 higher than in Lake Charles, LA.

Median Household Income

New Orleans, LA: $55,339 · Lake Charles, LA: $56,864

Lake Charles, LA has a higher median household income than New Orleans, LA by $1,525.

New Orleans, LA overview · Lake Charles, LA overview · Popular comparisons