Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in New Orleans, LA
Learn more

New Orleans, LA Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

New Orleans, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 44% more expensive than in New Orleans, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.91 $25.91

-2.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$127 $127

-20.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.10 $12.10

21.98%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.39 $5.39

20.59%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.88 $2.88

11.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.14 $2.14

46.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.92 $5.92

34.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.97 $7.97

2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.39 $1.39

-15.83%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.11 $4.11

28.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.98 $5.98

7.02%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.33 $5.33

-5.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$15.40 $15.40

21.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.23 $10.23

82.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.75 $15.75

45.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.07 $5.07

19.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.68 $1.68

16.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.38 $5.38

2.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.53 $5.53

17.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.41 $4.41

-20.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.27 $3.27

0.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.29 $2.29

22.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.57 $2.57

0.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.26 $9.26

34.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$16.66 $16.66

-10.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.47 $2.47

69.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.95 $3.95

46.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.27 $1.27

140.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$44.42 $44.42

138.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.58 $3.58

-27.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.47 $1.47

11.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$35.19 $35.19

-14.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.93 $0.93

51.61%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$32.7K $32.7K

12.45%

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)

$308 $308

$258 $258

19.28%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$71.9 $71.9

-3.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$74.6 $74.6

15.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$47.57 $47.57

60.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$43.17 $43.17

-17.77%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.48 $12.48

44.39%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,515 $1,515

81.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$10.1K $10.1K

202.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$57.1 $57.1

38.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$43.90 $43.90

23.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$86.6 $86.6

46.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$118 $118

34.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,842 $1,842

36.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,133 $1,133

71.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,335 $3,335

53.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,803 $1,803

96.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$5,195 $5,195

41.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,626 $1,626

207.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,053 $4,053

59.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.66

3.45%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

New Orleans, LA

$1.1K 43.2% 41.6% $806

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

New Orleans, LA

$443 16.9% 19% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

New Orleans, LA

$404 15.4% 12.6% $58

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

New Orleans, LA

$374 14.3% 8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

New Orleans, LA

$137 5.2% 27.1% $51

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

New Orleans, LA

$60 2.3% 53.1% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

New Orleans, LA

$73 2.8% 35.5% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,842 in New Orleans, LA. 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $127 in New Orleans, LA. Groceries flip the comparison at $547 vs $443, with New Orleans, LA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 New Orleans, LA

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

16:20 4:20 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

391,006

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Seattle, WA
New Orleans, 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

Seattle, WA vs New Orleans, LA: 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.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,842 in New Orleans, LA. 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 $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,624 in New Orleans, LA – 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.