City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 17.3% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $117,300 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in New Orleans, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from New Orleans, LA to San Luis Obispo, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +17.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.6% in real buying power.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Orleans, LA | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,278 in San Luis Obispo | $85,267 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.7%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Orleans, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Orleans, LA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, New Orleans → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $97,620 | $83,238 (+37.9%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $135,020 | $115,128 (+7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $88,160 | $75,172 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $138,820 | $118,368 (+44.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.