

New Orleans vs Waterloo
$339/mo more in Waterloo
New OrleansWaterlooAbout 930 miles apart, a flight.
- Waterloo leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,758/mo in Waterloo. $2,419/mo in New Orleans. +$4,068 a year.
New Orleans
$2,419
left each month
Waterloo
$2,758
+$339 vs New Orleans
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
+$339 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | New Orleans | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,000 | $6,867 | −$133 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,555 | $1,552 | −$3 |
| Take-home pay | $5,445 | $5,315 | −$129 |
| Rent | $1,223 | $788 | −$435 |
| Getting around | $498 | $510 | +$12 |
| Groceries | $360 | $347 | −$13 |
| Healthcare | $405 | $391 | −$14 |
| Utilities | $225 | $217 | −$8 |
| Everything else | $315 | $304 | −$11 |
| Left over | $2,419 | $2,758 | +$339 |
Salary to match New Orleans
$76,500
Gross pay in Waterloo that leaves the same amount as $84,000 in New Orleans.
Tax difference
−$432
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 22.2% in New Orleans, 22.6% in Waterloo.
More about Waterloo
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.
Waterloo, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $938 and 204 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.
The other way
Start in Waterloo.
Waterloo → New Orleans →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Waterloo than New Orleans?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Waterloo leaves about $339 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,223 in New Orleans and $788 in Waterloo.
Does Waterloo have state income tax?
Waterloo is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from New Orleans to Waterloo?
The paycheck is taxed in Iowa. 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 New Orleans and Waterloo 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.