Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Orleans, LA and Manchester, NH

For one person, living is cheaper in New Orleans, LA: $2,719 a month against $2,859 in Manchester, NH, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester, NH outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

132

Cost of Living Index in New Orleans, LA
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New Orleans, LA Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Manchester, NH
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Manchester, NH Living Index

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New Orleans, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,719

/mo nomad

Manchester, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New Orleans, LA and in Manchester, NH

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 Manchester, NH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,719 in New Orleans, LA versus $2,859 in Manchester, NH.

New Orleans, LA $2,719
Manchester, NH $2,859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,147 in New Orleans, LA versus $4,150 in Manchester, NH.

New Orleans, LA $4,147
Manchester, NH $4,150

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,576 in New Orleans, LA versus $5,440 in Manchester, NH.

New Orleans, LA $5,576
Manchester, NH $5,440

Living in New Orleans, LA costs roughly 5% less than in Manchester, NH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Orleans, LA 101% above, Manchester, NH 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.36 $26.36

$26.99 $26.99

-2.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 $128

$79.7 $79.7

60.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$10.81 $10.81

8.97%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$5.50 $5.50

-3.64%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$2.45 $2.45

17.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.99 $1.99

11.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$5.85 $5.85

1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$6.81 $6.81

19.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.01 $1.01

37.62%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.88 $2.88

42.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$4.70 $4.70

27.87%

Eggs

$5.47 $5.47

$4.82 $4.82

13.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.59 $15.59

$9.96 $9.96

56.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$10.95 $10.95

-7.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.34 $15.34

$19.83 $19.83

-22.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$5.83 $5.83

-13.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.39 $2.39

-33.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$4.47 $4.47

21.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$5.99 $5.99

-6.51%

Potato (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.45 $2.45

81.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.20 $3.20

-0.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.10 $2.10

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.31 $2.31

14.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 $9.26

$10.06 $10.06

-7.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.81 $16.81

$14.88 $14.88

12.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.86 $1.86

33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.99 $4.99

-19.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.97 $1.97

-37.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 $50.4

$61.1 $61.1

-17.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.13 $3.13

10.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.82 $1.82

-19.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 $35.25

$30.37 $30.37

16.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.94 $0.94

7.45%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$34.1K $34.1K

5.84%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.9K $27.9K

-6.46%

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

$263 $263

$235 $235

11.88%

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

$73.1 $73.1

$63.1 $63.1

15.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 $73.6

$70.4 $70.4

4.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 $51.2

$42.30 $42.30

20.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.96 $42.96

$40.65 $40.65

5.68%

Cinema Ticket

$12.25 $12.25

$11.61 $11.61

5.51%

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

$1,544 $1,544

$1,465 $1,465

5.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$23.0K $23.0K

-55.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 $58.0

$43.50 $43.50

33.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.93 $43.93

$44.13 $44.13

-0.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$91.0 $91.0

-3.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$113 $113

7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 $1,824

$1,689 $1,689

8.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 $1,207

$1,426 $1,426

-15.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,070 $3,070

$2,500 $2,500

22.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 $2,034

$2,257 $2,257

-9.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,300 $5,300

$2,904 $2,904

82.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,355 $1,355

$3,015 $3,015

-55.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,065 $4,065

$4,186 $4,186

-2.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.21

7.25%

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 Manchester, NH: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Orleans, LA

$1.2K 44.4%

Manchester, NH

$1.4K 49.9% 18.2% $219

Groceries & Markets

New Orleans, LA

$444 16.3%

Manchester, NH

$411 14.4% 7.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Orleans, LA

$410 15.1%

Manchester, NH

$369 12.9% 10% $41

Eating Out

New Orleans, LA

$376 13.8%

Manchester, NH

$375 13.1% 0.3% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

New Orleans, LA

$140 5.2%

Manchester, NH

$131 4.6% 6.4% $9

Sport & Entertainment

New Orleans, LA

$76 2.8%

Manchester, NH

$66 2.3% 13.4% $10

Getting Around

New Orleans, LA

$66 2.4%

Manchester, NH

$81 2.8% 22.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,824 in New Orleans, LA and $1,689 in Manchester, NH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester, NH pays 3% 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: $128 in New Orleans, LA vs $80.0 in Manchester, NH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $444 vs $411 per month, with Manchester, NH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Orleans, LA

🇺🇸 Manchester, NH

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

12:45 12:45 PM

1 h ahead of New Orleans, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

391,006

109,497

💱 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 Manchester, NH 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New Orleans, LA
Manchester, NH

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 Manchester, NH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Orleans, LA is cheaper overall, especially in transport. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Manchester, NH. 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 $1,689 in Manchester, NH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,544 in New Orleans, LA versus $1,465 in Manchester, NH. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Manchester, NH pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. New Orleans, LA 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.

Safety-wise, New Orleans, LA and Manchester, NH 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 New Orleans, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Manchester, NH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.