Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and New Orleans, LA

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in New Orleans, LA: $2,607 and $2,624 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in New Orleans, LA
Learn more

New Orleans, LA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

New Orleans, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in New Orleans, LA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in New Orleans, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,624 in New Orleans, LA.

Austin, TX $2,607
New Orleans, LA $2,624

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,964 in New Orleans, LA.

Austin, TX $4,031
New Orleans, LA $3,964

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,304 in New Orleans, LA.

Austin, TX $5,454
New Orleans, LA $5,304

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and New Orleans, LA; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, New Orleans, LA 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$25.91 $25.91

-21.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$127 $127

-33.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.10 $12.10

0.17%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.39 $5.39

4.82%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.88 $2.88

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.14 $2.14

10.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.92 $5.92

32.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.97 $7.97

10.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.39 $1.39

-17.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.11 $4.11

-10.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.98 $5.98

-44.65%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.33 $5.33

-22.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.40 $15.40

-15.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.23 $10.23

35.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.75 $15.75

3.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.07 $5.07

-7.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.68 $1.68

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.38 $5.38

-5.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.53 $5.53

-18.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.41 $4.41

-30.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.27 $3.27

-27.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.29 $2.29

-21.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.57 $2.57

-13.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.26 $9.26

7.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$16.66 $16.66

-9.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.47 $2.47

17.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.95 $3.95

-15.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.27 $1.27

-3.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$44.42 $44.42

-8.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.58 $3.58

-22.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.47 $1.47

12.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$35.19 $35.19

0.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.93 $0.93

2.15%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.2K $34.2K

$32.7K $32.7K

4.50%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.47%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

$258 $258

-13.53%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.5 $58.5

$71.9 $71.9

-18.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$74.6 $74.6

-4.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$47.57 $47.57

11.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$43.17 $43.17

-61.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.48 $12.48

12.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$1,515 $1,515

-3.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$10.1K $10.1K

111.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$57.1 $57.1

-8.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$43.90 $43.90

-2.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$86.6 $86.6

-0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$118 $118

-12.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,842 $1,842

14.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,133 $1,133

8.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,335 $3,335

15.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,803 $1,803

33.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$5,195 $5,195

42.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,626 $1,626

88.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,053 $4,053

27.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.66

2.40%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for New Orleans, LA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

New Orleans, LA

$1.1K 43.2% 7.9% $98

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

New Orleans, LA

$443 16.9% 8.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

New Orleans, LA

$404 15.4% 14.7% $52

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

New Orleans, LA

$374 14.3% 7.4% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

New Orleans, LA

$137 5.2% 7% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

New Orleans, LA

$73 2.8% 10.6% $8.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

New Orleans, LA

$60 2.3% 7% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,842 in New Orleans, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 28% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $127 in New Orleans, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $443 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 New Orleans, LA

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

391,006

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX New Orleans, LA 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
New Orleans, LA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs New Orleans, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 28% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,842 in New Orleans, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,515 in New Orleans, LA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $127 in New Orleans, LA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.