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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Houston skyline
The original uploader was Marc Mongenet at French Wikipedia .. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License
New Orleans skyline
thepipe26. CC BY 2.0. Photo source · License

Houston vs New Orleans

$742/mo less in New Orleans

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

HoustonNew OrleansAbout 348 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • New Orleans costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 240 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,418/mo in New Orleans. $3,160/mo in Houston. −$8,904 a year.

Houston

$3,160

left each month

New Orleans

$2,418

−$742 vs Houston

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

New Orleans wins 1 of 4Houston 3 · ties 0
$6,298Take-home · Houston$5,444
$1,188Rent · Houston$1,223
$1,950Other bills · New Orleans$1,803
$3,160Left over · Houston$2,418

Next

In 2022-2023, 773 households moved Houston → New Orleans (avg AGI $48,335). 1,366 went the other way. The whole move →

−$742 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthHoustonNew Orleans
Less leftMore left
New Orleans · this breakdownHouston · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Houston, TX and New Orleans, LA
Per monthHoustonNew OrleansDifference
Gross pay$7,958$6,999−$960
Income and payroll tax$1,661$1,555−$106
Take-home pay$6,298$5,444−$854
Rent$1,188$1,223+$35
Getting around$572$498−$74
Groceries$380$360−$20
Healthcare$428$405−$23
Utilities$238$225−$13
Everything else$333$315−$18
Left over$3,160$2,418−$742

Salary to match Houston

$97,000

Gross pay in New Orleans that leaves the same amount as $95,500 in Houston.

Tax difference

−$2,145

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.9% in Houston, 22.2% in New Orleans.

More about New Orleans

Houston, TX in full

The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.

New Orleans, LA in full

A flat 3% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,456 and 240 sunny days; commutes average 25 minutes.

The other way

Start in New Orleans.

New Orleans → Houston →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in New Orleans than Houston?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, New Orleans leaves about $742 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,188 in Houston and $1,223 in New Orleans.

Does New Orleans have state income tax?

New Orleans is in Louisiana, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Houston to New Orleans?

The paycheck is taxed in Louisiana. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Houston and New Orleans changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.