Question 1

Is Nashville or New Orleans cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

New Orleans, LA is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $238/month less than in Nashville, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,730/mo in Nashville versus $1,331/mo in New Orleans.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Nashville vs New Orleans?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $68,000/year before tax in Nashville, TN and $65,500/year in New Orleans, LA — a difference of about $2,500. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Nashville or New Orleans cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

New Orleans, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $7,166/month in Nashville and $6,743/month in New Orleans, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Nashville or New Orleans?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. New Orleans costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Nashville74	New Orleans53
Est. monthly cost (single)	$3,904	$3,666
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$7,166	$6,743
Salary for comfort	$68,000/yr	$65,500/yr
Typical rent	$1,730	$1,331
Median home value	$383,100	$296,400
Median household income	$75,197	$55,339
Unemployment	2.9%	4.8%
Housing score	46	38
Jobs score	94	44
Safety score	35	3
Climate score	100	90
Amenities score	77	52
Population	684.3K	376K
Summer high / winter low	89° / 28°	92° / 44°

Nashville, TN vs New Orleans, LA