Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Orleans, LA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in New Orleans, LA: $2,624 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in New Orleans, LA
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New Orleans, LA Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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New Orleans, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,624

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New Orleans, LA and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,624 in New Orleans, LA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

New Orleans, LA $2,624
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,964 in New Orleans, LA versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

New Orleans, LA $3,964
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,304 in New Orleans, LA versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

New Orleans, LA $5,304
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in New Orleans, LA costs roughly 31% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Orleans, LA 93% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.91 $25.91

$25.30 $25.30

2.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 $127

$101 $101

25.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$14.76 $14.76

-18.02%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$6.50 $6.50

-17.08%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$3.21 $3.21

-10.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.14 $3.14

-31.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$7.97 $7.97

-25.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.13 $8.13

-1.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.17 $1.17

18.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 $4.11

$5.30 $5.30

-22.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$6.40 $6.40

-6.56%

Eggs

$5.33 $5.33

$5.06 $5.06

5.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.40 $15.40

$18.71 $18.71

-17.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$18.72 $18.72

-45.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.75 $15.75

$22.88 $22.88

-31.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$6.06 $6.06

-16.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.95 $1.95

-13.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.51 $5.51

-2.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$6.52 $6.52

-15.18%

Potato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.49 $3.49

26.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.29 $3.29

-0.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.80 $2.80

-18.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.58 $2.58

-0.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 $9.26

$12.49 $12.49

-25.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.66 $16.66

$14.87 $14.87

12.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.19 $4.19

-41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$5.80 $5.80

-31.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 $1.27

$3.05 $3.05

-58.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.42 $44.42

$106 $106

-58.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.58 $2.58

38.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.64 $1.64

-10.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.19 $35.19

$30.12 $30.12

16.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.41 $1.41

-34.04%

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

$32.7K $32.7K

$36.8K $36.8K

-11.07%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

0.18%

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

$258 $258

$308 $308

-16.17%

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

$71.9 $71.9

$69.2 $69.2

3.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$86.1 $86.1

-13.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 $47.57

$76.5 $76.5

-37.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.17 $43.17

$35.50 $35.50

21.61%

Cinema Ticket

$12.48 $12.48

$18.02 $18.02

-30.74%

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

$1,515 $1,515

$2,746 $2,746

-44.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$30.6K $30.6K

-66.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$79.2 $79.2

-27.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.90 $43.90

$54.3 $54.3

-19.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 $86.6

$127 $127

-31.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$159 $159

-25.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,842 $1,842

$2,508 $2,508

-26.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 $1,133

$1,938 $1,938

-41.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,335 $3,335

$5,117 $5,117

-34.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 $1,803

$3,542 $3,542

-49.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,195 $5,195

$7,374 $7,374

-29.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,626 $1,626

$5,002 $5,002

-67.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,053 $4,053

$6,470 $6,470

-37.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.89

-3.34%

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

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Orleans, LA

$1.1K 43.2%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 71.1% $806

Groceries & Markets

New Orleans, LA

$443 16.9%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 23.5% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Orleans, LA

$404 15.4%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 14.5% $58

Eating Out

New Orleans, LA

$374 14.3%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 8.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

New Orleans, LA

$137 5.2%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 37.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

New Orleans, LA

$73 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 55.1% $40

Getting Around

New Orleans, LA

$60 2.3%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 113% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,842 in New Orleans, LA and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 60% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $127 in New Orleans, LA vs $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $443 vs $547, with New Orleans, LA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Orleans, LA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

07:01 7:01 AM

2 h behind New Orleans, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

391,006

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New Orleans, LA Seattle, WA 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New Orleans, LA
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Orleans, LA wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making New Orleans, LA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in New Orleans, LA. 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: $1,842 in New Orleans, LA versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $127 in New Orleans, LA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,624 per month in New Orleans, LA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA – New Orleans, LA is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

It comes down to priorities – New Orleans, LA wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.