

McAllen vs New Orleans
$54/mo more in New Orleans
McAllenNew OrleansAbout 562 miles apart, a flight.
- New Orleans leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 240 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,410/mo in New Orleans. $2,356/mo in McAllen. +$648 a year.
McAllen
$2,356
left each month
New Orleans
$2,410
+$54 vs McAllen
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
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+$54 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | McAllen | New Orleans | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,208 | $6,987 | +$779 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,142 | $1,551 | +$409 |
| Take-home pay | $5,066 | $5,436 | +$370 |
| Rent | $863 | $1,223 | +$360 |
| Getting around | $532 | $498 | −$34 |
| Groceries | $363 | $360 | −$3 |
| Healthcare | $408 | $405 | −$3 |
| Utilities | $227 | $225 | −$2 |
| Everything else | $317 | $315 | −$2 |
| Left over | $2,356 | $2,410 | +$54 |
Salary to match McAllen
$83,000
Gross pay in New Orleans that leaves the same amount as $74,500 in McAllen.
Tax difference
−$2,140
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 18.4% in McAllen, 22.2% in New Orleans.
More about New Orleans
McAllen, TX in full
No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,027 and 237 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
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 → McAllen →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in New Orleans than McAllen?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, New Orleans leaves about $54 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $863 in McAllen 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 McAllen 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 McAllen 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.