Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbus, GA and Orleans

For one person, living is cheaper in Orleans: $1,583 a month against $2,335 in Columbus, GA, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, GA
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Columbus, GA Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Orleans
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Orleans Living Index

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Columbus, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,335

/mo nomad

Orleans

🇫🇷 France

$1,583

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Columbus, GA and in Orleans

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,335 in Columbus, GA versus $1,583 in Orleans.

Columbus, GA $2,335
Orleans $1,583

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,064 in Columbus, GA versus $2,398 in Orleans.

Columbus, GA $3,064
Orleans $2,398

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,794 in Columbus, GA versus $3,214 in Orleans.

Columbus, GA $3,794
Orleans $3,214

Living in Columbus, GA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Orleans, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbus, GA 73% above, Orleans 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.06 $22.06

$16.98 €15.10

29.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$54.8 €48.76

46.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 $9.85

$11.18 €9.94

-11.90%

Cappuccino

$4.92 $4.92

$2.86 €2.55

72.03%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$2.97 €2.65

-10.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.41 €1.26

39.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$5.48 €4.88

-11.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$6.57 €5.85

4.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.13 €1.01

-19.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.12 €0.99

172.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.23 €1.99

-12.11%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$3.55 €3.15

-15.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$12.49 €11.11

-52.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$9.24 €8.22

11.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$19.64 €17.47

-54.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.27 €2.02

59.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.29 €2.03

-41.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.47 €2.20

12.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.26 €2.01

57.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.10 €0.97

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.10 €0.98

65.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.09 €0.97

58.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.11 €0.99

55.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 $6.83

$14.63 €13.02

-53.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$6.31 €5.61

134.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.28 €2.03

-25.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$3.27 €2.91

-62.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.99 €1.77

-35.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 $52.5

$53.8 €47.82

-2.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$9.00 €8.00

-78.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.20 €1.07

5.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.76 $20.76

$22.07 €19.63

-5.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.97 €1.75

-47.72%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$27.7K €24.7K

35.12%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$36.4K €32.4K

-29.08%

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

$170 $170

$182 €162

-6.44%

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

$46.40 $46.40

$23.24 €20.67

99.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$28.23 €25.11

126.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.42 $25.42

$31.37 €27.90

-18.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.55 $7.55

$7.98 €7.10

-5.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.63 $12.63

$13.79 €12.27

-8.41%

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

$996 $996

$886 €788

12.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K $13.9K

$3,491 €3,106

296.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.27 $45.27

$79.5 €70.7

-43.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.22 $30.22

$40.86 €36.34

-26.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 $91.4

$93.2 €82.9

-1.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$103 €92.0

1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 $1,399

$764 €680

83.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 $1,205

$521 €463

131.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 €940

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 $1,240

$878 €781

41.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,059 $6,059

$2,701 €2,403

124.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,122 $6,122

$2,062 €1,834

196.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,653 $3,653

$3,244 €2,886

12.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

3.81

68.50%

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

Last update for Columbus, GA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Orleans: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbus, GA

$1.2K 51.6%

Orleans

$521 32.9% 56.8% $684

Eating Out

Columbus, GA

$322 13.8%

Orleans

$262 16.5% 18.6% $60

Groceries & Markets

Columbus, GA

$288 12.3%

Orleans

$288 18.2% 0.2% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbus, GA

$281 12%

Orleans

$234 14.8% 16.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Columbus, GA

$123 5.3%

Orleans

$143 9% 16.4% $20

Getting Around

Columbus, GA

$66 2.8%

Orleans

$77 4.9% 16.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Columbus, GA

$51 2.2%

Orleans

$59 3.7% 16.3% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,399 in Columbus, GA and $764 in Orleans. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbus, GA pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Columbus, GA vs $55.0 in Orleans. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $288, with Columbus, GA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbus, GA

🇫🇷 Orleans

🕒 Local time

01:09 1:09 AM

07:09 7:09 AM

6 h ahead of Columbus, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

905,748

116,617

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Columbus, GA Orleans 7,180 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Columbus, GA
Orleans

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

Columbus, GA vs Orleans: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Orleans wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Columbus, GA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Orleans the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Columbus, GA, 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: $1,399 in Columbus, GA versus $764 in Orleans. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,335 per month in Columbus, GA versus $1,583 in Orleans – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Orleans runs roughly 2% less than in Columbus, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,583 in Orleans versus $2,335 in Columbus, GA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Orleans but tight or insufficient in Columbus, GA. The gap between the two cities makes Orleans the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Columbus, GA and Orleans are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Orleans gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Columbus, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.