City comparison
Montgomery, AL vs New Orleans, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Orleans, LA are 3.3% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $103,300 in New Orleans, LA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in New Orleans, LA versus $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,121 a year higher in Montgomery, AL than in New Orleans, LA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Montgomery, AL to New Orleans, LA changes real buying power by −3.1%, purely from prices.
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (much cheaper)
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Montgomery, AL | New Orleans, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.7 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,250 in New Orleans | $96,852 in Montgomery |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $870/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,950 | $47,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Montgomery, AL MSA and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Montgomery, AL and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Montgomery | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.3 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 84.9 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 89.7 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Montgomery, AL → New Orleans, LA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,121/yr.
59 Fair offer
New Orleans, LA → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,121/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Montgomery, AL to New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Montgomery, AL | New Orleans, LA | Real change, Montgomery → New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Montgomery, AL | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans pay in Montgomery dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,610 | $60,350 | $58,450 (−1.9%) |
| Software Developers | $110,620 | $106,950 | $103,583 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,040 | $77,940 | $75,486 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,570 | $81,850 | $79,273 (−0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.