Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Houma, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Houma, LA: $2,071 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $34,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Houma, LA
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Houma, LA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Houma, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,071

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Houma, LA

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,071 in Houma, LA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Houma, LA $2,071

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,003 in Houma, LA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Houma, LA $3,003

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $3,936 in Houma, LA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Houma, LA $3,936

New York, NY costs about 139% more than Houma, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Houma, LA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Houma, LA by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$19.83 $19.83

43.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$49.72 $49.72

138.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.16 $12.16

23.68%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.37 $5.37

21.60%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.14 $2.14

85.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.65 $1.65

82.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$3.09 $3.09

164.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.93 $4.93

99.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.13 $1.13

21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.92 $3.92

26.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.10 $5.10

53.14%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$1.72 $1.72

247.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.23 $10.23

84.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.26 $10.26

75.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$15.25 $15.25

24.92%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.28 $5.28

28.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.29 $1.29

75.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.31 $5.31

28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.03 $4.03

75.93%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.06 $2.06

104.85%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.14 $3.14

48.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.95 $1.95

47.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.54 $2.54

2.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.64 $8.64

117.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$12.87 $12.87

56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.48 $2.48

39.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.83 $3.83

4.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.45 $3.45

-10.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.45 $1.45

46.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$34.46 $34.46

21.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.89 $0.89

31.46%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$33.0K $33.0K

4.43%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.75%

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

$219 $219

$151 $151

45.42%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$72.1 $72.1

3.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$47.11 $47.11

49.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$27.18 $27.18

311.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$12.32 $12.32

79.71%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,553 $1,553

129.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$10.4K $10.4K

496.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$56.2 $56.2

34.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.54 $43.54

17.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$85.4 $85.4

44.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$120 $120

16.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,043 $1,043

331.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$924 $924

233.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,564 $1,564

504.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,448 $1,448

258.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,438 $1,438

1159.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,483 $1,483

351.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,802 $3,802

37.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

71.50%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Houma, LA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Houma, LA

$924 44.6% 70% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Houma, LA

$378 18.2% 32.9% $185

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Houma, LA

$300 14.5% 31.8% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Houma, LA

$270 13% 25.8% $94

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Houma, LA

$137 6.6% 21.7% $38

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Houma, LA

$11 * 0.5% 93.5% $154

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Houma, LA

$52 2.5% 66.8% $104

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,043 in Houma, LA. 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 37% higher in New York, NY, 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $50 in Houma, LA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $378 – making Houma, LA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Houma, LA

🕒 Local time

12:08 12:08 PM

11:08 11:08 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

32,657

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Houma, LA 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Houma, LA

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 York, NY vs Houma, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 139%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,107 in Houma, LA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Houma, LA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,043 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,071 in Houma, LA. That’s a gap of about 139%.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,553 in Houma, LA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Houma, LA, where all-in costs run around $2,071, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Houma, LA it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Houma, LA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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