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Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles
๐บ๐ธ New Orleans
At a glance
- Where New Orleans is clearly cheaper: Half-day tour (40%โ), Beer (39%โ), Transit (29%โ)
- Where Los Angeles is clearly cheaper: Massage (25%โ), Street food (21%โ), Laundry (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Los Angeles 3 vs New Orleans 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Los Angeles | New Orleans | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 18$18 | $ 20$20 | Los Angeles โ10% |
| Street food1 item | $ 11$11 | $ 14$14 | Los Angeles โ21% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 48$48 | $ 45$45 | New Orleans โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.5$5.5 | $ 5$5 | New Orleans โ9% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | $ 5.5$5.5 | New Orleans โ39% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 17$17 | $ 14$14 | New Orleans โ18% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | $ 2$2 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | $ 2.5$2.5 | New Orleans โ17% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 18$18 | $ 15$15 | New Orleans โ17% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | $ 10$10 | similar |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.75$1.75 | $ 1.25$1.25 | New Orleans โ29% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | $ 39.5$39.5 | Los Angeles โ11% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 200$200 | $ 180$180 | New Orleans โ10% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 2,100$2,100 | $ 1,500$1,500 | New Orleans โ29% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | $ 5$5 | Los Angeles โ20% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 26$26 | $ 30$30 | Los Angeles โ13% |
| Haircutcut | $ 30$30 | $ 25$25 | New Orleans โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 75$75 | $ 100$100 | Los Angeles โ25% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 75$75 | $ 45$45 | New Orleans โ40% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 28$28 | $ 31$31 | Los Angeles โ10% |
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, Los Angeles or New Orleans?
New Orleans is 9% cheaper than Los Angeles. Daily budget $368 vs $340; a month $7,222 vs $6,444.
Which is easier to travel, Los Angeles or New Orleans?
About the same: Los Angeles 2.0/5, New Orleans 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Los Angeles and New Orleans?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Los Angeles is about $7,222 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.