Moving to Louisiana from Missouri
What to Expect
Considering a move from Missouri to Louisiana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Missouri to Louisiana, you would find that Louisiana is 0.7% cheaper than Missouri. A $75,000 salary in Missouri would need to be roughly $78,375 in Louisiana to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Baton Rouge averages 79°F vs 66°F in Columbia, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Missouri and Louisiana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $78,375
To maintain the same standard of living in Louisiana
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 0.4% more
Groceries
pay 1.7% more
Transportation
pay 12.0% less
Housing
pay 3.2% more
Childcare
pay 2.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.8% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Louisiana compared to Missouri.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Missouri performs better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Louisiana leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Missouri generally does better on what about housing?, though Louisiana leads in median home value.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Missouri performs better than Louisiana across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Missouri performs better than Louisiana across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Missouri performs better than Louisiana across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Columbia | Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 67°/45°F (19°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 85°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 91°/72°F (33°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.9°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 73°/50°F (22.6°/10.2°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 79°/57°F (26.3°/13.8°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.4°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 91°/71°F (32.7°/21.9°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 92°/74°F (33.4°/23.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 92°/73°F (33.6°/23.0°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 89°/69°F (31.5°/20.3°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 81°/58°F (27.1°/14.4°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 64°/43°F (17.8°/5.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Louisiana than Missouri?
On average Louisiana is around 5% pricier than Missouri, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Louisiana?
Budget about $19,594 for 3 months in Louisiana (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Louisiana safe?
Missouri performs better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Louisiana compared to Missouri?
Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Louisiana leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Louisiana compared to Missouri?
The average high temperature in Baton Rouge is 79°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Baton Rouge receives around 60.6 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
