Orleans Parish · Louisiana
Cost of living in New Orleans, LA
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for New Orleans-Metairie, LA, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Living in New Orleans, LA costs 7.4% below the national average — an all-items price level of 92.6. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $92,597 here.
- All items
- 92.6US average = 100
- Housing
- 86.014.0% below the national average
- Goods
- 93.76.3% below the national average
- Other services
- 95.74.3% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 93.7 | -6.3% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 86.0 | -14.0% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 71.2 | -28.8% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 95.7 | -4.3% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in New Orleans, LA
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (92.6 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $55,203
- Needed to match US average
- $47,332
- Monthly difference
- $-315
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
The median household in New Orleans earns $51,116. Deflated by the local price level, that is $55,203 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 92.6.
More on New Orleans
Same city, other datasets.
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for New Orleans-Metairie, LA. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.