New Orleans, LA: $60,782

Income needed: $60,782

50 percent for necessities: $30,391

30 percent for discretionary spending: $18,235

20 percent for savings: $12,156

The median household income in New Orleans is just $36,964, which is not much compared to the city's high cost of living. That income falls $23,818 short of the income needed to live well in The Big Easy.