Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in New Orleans, LA and in Austin, TX: $2,719 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

132

Cost of Living Index in New Orleans, LA
Learn more

New Orleans, LA Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

New Orleans, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,719

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,719 in New Orleans, LA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

New Orleans, LA $2,719
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,147 in New Orleans, LA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

New Orleans, LA $4,147
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,576 in New Orleans, LA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

New Orleans, LA $5,576
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in New Orleans, LA is roughly 2% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Orleans, LA 101% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.36 $26.36

$20.77 $20.77

26.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 $128

$84.6 $84.6

50.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$12.32 $12.32

-4.38%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$5.63 $5.63

-5.86%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$3.72 $3.72

-22.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.50 $2.50

-11.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$8.05 $8.05

-26.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$9.01 $9.01

-9.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.12 $1.12

24.11%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.75 $3.75

9.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$3.26 $3.26

84.36%

Eggs

$5.47 $5.47

$4.17 $4.17

31.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.59 $15.59

$12.90 $12.90

20.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$14.16 $14.16

-28.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.34 $15.34

$16.22 $16.22

-5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.33 $4.33

17.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.46 $1.46

9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$4.51 $4.51

19.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$4.34 $4.34

29.03%

Potato (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.58 $2.58

72.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.35 $2.35

34.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.78 $1.78

26.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.22 $2.22

19.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 $9.26

$9.88 $9.88

-6.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.81 $16.81

$15.08 $15.08

11.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.92 $2.92

-14.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.46 $3.46

15.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.49 $1.49

-17.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 $50.4

$41.72 $41.72

20.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.73 $2.73

26.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.66 $1.66

-11.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 $35.25

$35.30 $35.30

-0.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.95 $0.95

6.32%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.05%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.59%

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

$263 $263

$229 $229

14.95%

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

$73.1 $73.1

$59.4 $59.4

23.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 $73.6

$69.9 $69.9

5.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 $51.2

$57.2 $57.2

-10.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.96 $42.96

$16.33 $16.33

163.07%

Cinema Ticket

$12.25 $12.25

$14.28 $14.28

-14.22%

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

$1,544 $1,544

$1,506 $1,506

2.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$21.5K $21.5K

-52.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 $58.0

$52.8 $52.8

9.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.93 $43.93

$43.82 $43.82

0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$84.8 $84.8

3.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$103 $103

18.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 $1,824

$1,907 $1,907

-4.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 $1,207

$1,274 $1,274

-5.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,070 $3,070

$3,664 $3,664

-16.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 $2,034

$2,538 $2,538

-19.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,300 $5,300

$7,614 $7,614

-30.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,355 $1,355

$3,157 $3,157

-57.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,065 $4,065

$5,121 $5,121

-20.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.79

-1.91%

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

Last update for New Orleans, LA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Orleans, LA

$1.2K 44.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 5.6% $67

Groceries & Markets

New Orleans, LA

$444 16.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 8.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Orleans, LA

$410 15.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 12.6% $52

Eating Out

New Orleans, LA

$376 13.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 5.9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

New Orleans, LA

$140 5.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 8.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

New Orleans, LA

$76 2.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 13.4% $10

Getting Around

New Orleans, LA

$66 2.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 11.2% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,824 in New Orleans, LA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $128 in New Orleans, LA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $444 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Orleans, LA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

10:53 10:53 AM

Same time as New Orleans, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

391,006

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

New Orleans, LA
Austin, TX

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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in New Orleans, LA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,824 in New Orleans, LA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,719 per month in New Orleans, LA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 21% less than in New Orleans, LA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in New Orleans, LA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.