Overall
Alabama feels cheaper overall
Alabama has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Louisiana by 3.2 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Alabama vs Louisiana: Cost of Living
Alabama is cheaper overall by 3.2 cost-of-living points, but Louisiana has lower median home values.
88.6
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Louisiana
LA • South
91.8
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Alabama
88.6
Louisiana
91.8
Difference: 3.2 points — Alabama leads.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for cost of living.
Alabama
#5 · 88.6
Louisiana
#14 · 91.8
Best
Worst
10 Best States — Cost of Living
Lower is better
#1
West Virginia
83.6
West Virginia
#2
Mississippi
85.5
Mississippi
#3
Arkansas
87.6
Arkansas
#4
Kentucky
88.0
Kentucky
#5
Alabama
88.6
Alabama
#6
Oklahoma
88.6
Oklahoma
#7
Missouri
90.0
Missouri
#8
Kansas
90.2
Kansas
#9
Iowa
91.0
Iowa
#10
Ohio
91.0
Ohio
Selected states
#14
Louisiana
91.8
Louisiana
Alabama ranks 5th and Louisiana ranks 14th nationally for cost of living.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.0x more for a home
Louisiana has the lower median home value, while buying in Alabama costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Alabama puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Alabama than in Louisiana, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Louisiana keeps more income after state tax
Louisiana has the lower top state income tax rate, which softens the total cost picture even when prices are close.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Alabama
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
88.6
Regional price parity
87.2
Regular gas price
$3.840/gal
Electricity price
16.06 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$925/mo
Median home value
$174,600
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
5.00%
State sales tax
4.00%
Property tax
0.38%
Income
Median household income
$54,943
Income after median rent
$3,654
Minimum wage
$7.25/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Medical
Louisiana
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
91.8
Regional price parity
91.7
Regular gas price
$3.790/gal
Electricity price
12.46 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,007/mo
Median home value
$173,400
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
4.25%
State sales tax
4.45%
Property tax
0.55%
Income
Median household income
$57,852
Income after median rent
$3,814
Minimum wage
$7.25/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Medical
What Stands Out
- Louisiana has lower median home values.
- Alabama has the lower overall cost index.
- Louisiana has the higher median household income.
- Louisiana looks more attainable on home value to income ratio.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Alabama vs Louisiana: Cost of Living in context
Alabama has a cost of living of 88.6, compared with 91.8 in Louisiana. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Alabama
88.6
Louisiana
91.8
Difference
3.2 points
People Also Ask
Alabama vs Louisiana Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Alabama's cost of living?
Alabama's cost of living is 88.6.
Q What is Louisiana's cost of living?
Louisiana's cost of living is 91.8.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Alabama or Louisiana?
Alabama is cheaper overall by 3.2 cost-of-living points, but Louisiana has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Alabama vs Louisiana
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.