Living Cost Compare
Manchester

New Hampshire

$1,430/mo est.

vs
New Orleans

Louisiana

$1,170/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,430 in Manchester, NH versus $1,170 in New Orleans, LA. Overall, New Orleans, LA is roughly 18% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Manchester, NH, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $77,415 in Manchester, NH and $55,339 in New Orleans, LA — about 29% higher in Manchester, NH. New Hampshire has no state income tax and no state sales tax; Louisiana has a top state income tax rate of 3.00% and a 5% state sales tax.

Manchester, NH
New Orleans, LA

Rent

Studio
$880
$953
+8% in New Orleans, LA
1 Bedroom
$1,150
$1,019
+11% in Manchester, NH
2 Bedroom
$1,593
$1,287
+19% in Manchester, NH
3 Bedroom
$1,661
$1,392
+16% in Manchester, NH

Buying a Home

Median Home Value
$336,300
$296,400
+12% in Manchester, NH

Income

Median Household Income
$77,415
$55,339
+29% in Manchester, NH
Metro Median Wage (annual)
$56,530
$47,290
+16% in Manchester, NH

People & Lifestyle

Median Age
37.9 yr
38.4 yr
+0.5 yr in New Orleans, LA
Homeownership
49.3%
50.5%
+1.2 pp in New Orleans, LA
Bachelor's+ (25+)
33.5%
42.0%
+8.5 pp in New Orleans, LA
Avg Commute
23.8 min
22.7 min
+1.1 min in Manchester, NH

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime
339.5
1,361.1
+301% in New Orleans, LA
Property Crime
1,691.4
5,089.6
+201% in New Orleans, LA

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature
49.2°F
70.6°F
+21.4°F in New Orleans, LA
Annual Precipitation
44.6 in
62.3 in
+17.7 in in New Orleans, LA

Gas

Regular Gasoline
$3.86/gal
$3.62/gal
+6% in Manchester, NH

Area: East Coast (PADD 1) vs Gulf Coast (PADD 3).

Public Transit

Base Fare (one-way)
—
$1.25

Adult base one-way fare — — vs New Orleans RTA (2026).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)
27.3
14.2
+48% in Manchester, NH
Natural Gas ($/MCF)
$24.53
$16.62
+32% in Manchester, NH

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)
$4.31
$4.00
+7% in Manchester, NH
Bread (lb)
$1.92
$1.75
+9% in Manchester, NH
Eggs (doz)
$2.19
$2.21
+1% in New Orleans, LA
Ground Beef (lb)
$6.90
$6.45
+6% in Manchester, NH
Chicken (lb)
$2.19
$1.90
+13% in Manchester, NH
Bananas (lb)
$0.69
$0.62
+11% in Manchester, NH

Average prices — Northeast vs South (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (NH / LA)
None
5%
+5.0 pp in LA
Income Tax (top rate)
None
3.00%
+3.0 pp in LA

Manchester vs New Orleans — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Manchester or New Orleans?
New Orleans, LA is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,170 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 18% below Manchester, NH's $1,430, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Manchester than in New Orleans?
To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $46,000 a year in Manchester versus $41,000 in New Orleans.
Which has lower taxes, Manchester or New Orleans?
Manchester is taxed under New Hampshire's rules (no state income tax and no state sales tax); New Orleans under Louisiana's (a top state income tax rate of 3.00% and a 5% state sales tax).

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).