Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Orleans, LA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in New Orleans, LA: $2,719 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in New Orleans, LA
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New Orleans, LA Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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New Orleans, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,719

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New Orleans, LA and in Chicago, IL

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 Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,719 per month in New Orleans, LA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Orleans, LA $2,719
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,147 per month in New Orleans, LA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Orleans, LA $4,147
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,576 per month in New Orleans, LA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

New Orleans, LA $5,576
Chicago, IL $6,077

New Orleans, LA is about 15% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New Orleans, LA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – New Orleans, LA by 101%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.36 $26.36

$21.58 $21.58

22.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 $128

$88.7 $88.7

44.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$13.20 $13.20

-10.76%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$5.59 $5.59

-5.19%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$2.63 $2.63

9.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.26 $2.26

-1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$7.11 $7.11

-16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$9.23 $9.23

-11.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.28 $1.28

8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.84 $3.84

7.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$5.07 $5.07

18.54%

Eggs

$5.47 $5.47

$4.84 $4.84

13.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.59 $15.59

$14.17 $14.17

10.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$14.61 $14.61

-30.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.34 $15.34

$18.76 $18.76

-18.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$5.19 $5.19

-2.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.00 $2.00

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$4.00 $4.00

35.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$4.98 $4.98

12.45%

Potato (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.79 $2.79

59.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.65 $2.65

19.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.13 $2.13

5.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.09 $3.09

-14.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 $9.26

$16.05 $16.05

-42.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.81 $16.81

$15.20 $15.20

10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.62 $2.62

-4.96%

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

$2.47 $2.47

-50.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 $50.4

$75.1 $75.1

-32.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.21 $3.21

7.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.39 $1.39

5.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 $35.25

$25.02 $25.02

40.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.24 $1.24

-18.55%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.00%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.07%

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

$263 $263

$192 $192

36.89%

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

$73.1 $73.1

$67.8 $67.8

7.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 $73.6

$60.9 $60.9

20.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 $51.2

$53.6 $53.6

-4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.96 $42.96

$27.90 $27.90

53.98%

Cinema Ticket

$12.25 $12.25

$17.80 $17.80

-31.18%

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

$1,544 $1,544

$1,554 $1,554

-0.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$31.4K $31.4K

-67.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 $58.0

$67.9 $67.9

-14.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.93 $43.93

$50.8 $50.8

-13.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$101 $101

-13.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$143 $143

-14.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 $1,824

$2,383 $2,383

-23.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 $1,207

$1,712 $1,712

-29.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,070 $3,070

$4,674 $4,674

-34.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 $2,034

$2,738 $2,738

-25.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,300 $5,300

$4,158 $4,158

27.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,355 $1,355

$2,691 $2,691

-49.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,065 $4,065

$4,894 $4,894

-16.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.77

-1.62%

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 Chicago, IL: 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%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 41.9% $505

Groceries & Markets

New Orleans, LA

$444 16.3%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 1.7% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Orleans, LA

$410 15.1%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 21.7% $89

Eating Out

New Orleans, LA

$376 13.8%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 6.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

New Orleans, LA

$140 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 16.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

New Orleans, LA

$76 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 17.9% $14

Getting Around

New Orleans, LA

$66 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 43.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,824 in New Orleans, LA versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $128 in New Orleans, LA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $444 in New Orleans, LA vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so New Orleans, LA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Orleans, LA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

Same time as New Orleans, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

391,006

2,746,388

💱 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 Chicago, IL 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New Orleans, LA
Chicago, IL

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 Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,719 in New Orleans, LA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,078 per month in New Orleans, LA and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Orleans, LA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $128 in New Orleans, LA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,719 in New Orleans, LA and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,719 in New Orleans, LA to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with New Orleans, LA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.