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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Lafayette skyline
TheLionHasSeen. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Lake Charles skyline
CTtcg. Public domain. Photo source · License

Lafayette vs Lake Charles

$220/mo less in Lake Charles

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

LafayetteLake CharlesAbout 63 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Lake Charles costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 228 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,403/mo in Lake Charles. $2,623/mo in Lafayette. −$2,640 a year.

Lafayette

$2,623

left each month

Lake Charles

$2,403

−$220 vs Lafayette

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Lake Charles wins 0 of 4Lafayette 4 · ties 0
$5,529Take-home · Lafayette$5,423
$1,052Rent · Lafayette$1,149
$1,854Other bills · Lafayette$1,871
$2,623Left over · Lafayette$2,403

Next

In 2022-2023, 428 households moved Lafayette → Lake Charles (avg AGI $37,568). 371 went the other way. The whole move →

−$220 / 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 monthLafayetteLake Charles
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Lake Charles · this breakdownLafayette · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Lafayette, LA and Lake Charles, LA
Per monthLafayetteLake CharlesDifference
Gross pay$7,125$6,969−$156
Income and payroll tax$1,596$1,545−$51
Take-home pay$5,529$5,423−$105
Rent$1,052$1,149+$97
Getting around$549$566+$17
Groceries$360$360$0
Healthcare$405$405$0
Utilities$225$225$0
Everything else$315$315$0
Left over$2,623$2,403−$220

Salary to match Lafayette

$87,500

Gross pay in Lake Charles that leaves the same amount as $85,500 in Lafayette.

Tax difference

+$56

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 22.4% in Lafayette, 22.2% in Lake Charles.

More about Lake Charles

Lafayette, LA in full

A flat 3% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,252 and 231 sunny days; commutes average 25 minutes.

Lake Charles, LA in full

A flat 3% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,368 and 228 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.

The other way

Start in Lake Charles.

Lake Charles → Lafayette →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Lake Charles than Lafayette?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Lake Charles leaves about $220 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,052 in Lafayette and $1,149 in Lake Charles.

Does Lake Charles have state income tax?

Lake Charles is in Louisiana, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Lafayette to Lake Charles?

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 Lafayette and Lake Charles 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.