City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Oklahoma City, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Orleans, LA are 2.4% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $102,400 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 $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,341 a year higher in Oklahoma City, OK 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 New Orleans, LA to Oklahoma City, OK changes real buying power by +2.4%, purely from prices.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Orleans, LA | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 90.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,636 in Oklahoma City | $102,421 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,017/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $47,230 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Oklahoma City, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 73.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 90.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,341/yr.
76 Strong offer
Oklahoma City, OK → New Orleans, LA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,341/yr.
61 Fair 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 New Orleans, LA to Oklahoma City, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Oklahoma City, OK | Real change, New Orleans → Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $48,780 | $49,961 (−17.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $122,390 | $125,353 (+17.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $77,280 | $79,151 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $82,920 | $84,928 (+3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.