

Austin vs New Orleans
$754/mo less in New Orleans
AustinNew OrleansAbout 489 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- New Orleans costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 240 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,424/mo in New Orleans. $3,178/mo in Austin. −$9,048 a year.
Austin
$3,178
left each month
New Orleans
$2,424
−$754 vs Austin
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 89 households moved Austin → New Orleans (avg AGI $81,169). 207 went the other way. The whole move →
−$754 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Austin | New Orleans | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,125 | $7,008 | −$1,117 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,710 | $1,558 | −$152 |
| Take-home pay | $6,415 | $5,450 | −$965 |
| Rent | $1,221 | $1,223 | +$2 |
| Getting around | $566 | $498 | −$68 |
| Groceries | $400 | $360 | −$40 |
| Healthcare | $450 | $405 | −$45 |
| Utilities | $250 | $225 | −$25 |
| Everything else | $350 | $315 | −$35 |
| Left over | $3,178 | $2,424 | −$754 |
Salary to match Austin
$97,500
Gross pay in New Orleans that leaves the same amount as $97,500 in Austin.
Tax difference
−$2,148
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.0% in Austin, 22.2% in New Orleans.
More about New Orleans
Austin, TX in full
No income tax, but property taxes are among the steepest anywhere.
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 → Austin →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in New Orleans than Austin?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, New Orleans leaves about $754 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,221 in Austin 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 Austin 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 Austin 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.