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Chicago vs New Orleans cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Chicago
๐บ๐ธ New Orleans
At a glance
- Where New Orleans is clearly cheaper: Transit (55%โ), Scooter rental (31%โ), Haircut (29%โ)
- Where Chicago is clearly cheaper: Street food (43%โ), Laundry (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Chicago is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Chicago 1 vs New Orleans 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Chicago | New Orleans | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 17$17 | $ 20$20 | Chicago โ15% |
| Street food1 item | $ 8$8 | $ 14$14 | Chicago โ43% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 42$42 | $ 45$45 | Chicago โ7% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.5$5.5 | $ 5$5 | New Orleans โ9% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7.5$7.5 | $ 5.5$5.5 | New Orleans โ27% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 15$15 | $ 14$14 | New Orleans โ7% |
| Bottled water | $ 1.8$1.8 | $ 2$2 | Chicago โ10% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.7$2.7 | $ 2.5$2.5 | New Orleans โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 17$17 | $ 15$15 | New Orleans โ12% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | $ 10$10 | similar |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.75$2.75 | $ 1.25$1.25 | New Orleans โ55% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 57$57 | $ 39.5$39.5 | New Orleans โ31% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 180$180 | $ 180$180 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,950$1,950 | $ 1,500$1,500 | New Orleans โ23% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | $ 5$5 | Chicago โ20% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 30$30 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 35$35 | $ 25$25 | New Orleans โ29% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 85$85 | $ 100$100 | Chicago โ15% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 60$60 | $ 45$45 | New Orleans โ25% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 33$33 | $ 31$31 | New Orleans โ6% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Chicago or New Orleans?
Chicago and New Orleans cost about the same. Daily budget $334 vs $340; a month $6,737 vs $6,444.
Which is easier to travel, Chicago or New Orleans?
Chicago is easier: Chicago 1.4/5 vs New Orleans 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Chicago and New Orleans?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Chicago is about $6,737 and New Orleans about $6,444 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.