re: New Orleans has a higher COL than Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin

I have been to Buenos Aires...I remember eating very good steak dinner with drinks and dessert (for 2) at not quite Ruth's Chris but close... For about 30 bucks. I was going to Iguazu and the hotel offered to drive me instead of a taxi...big Mercedes vs taxi for 30 pesos I gave the driver 100 pesos ( about 35 US then) ....when I came back to BA and walked back into the hotel... That driver saw me and came up and said " you need anything... You let me know..."

The funny part is .. Leaving, at the airport in security and the guy in front is an American working in BA... And complains about how expensive things have gotten there "basically doubled in the last couple of years". My wife and I looked at each other in shock because we thought the cost of living was dirt cheap

I can verify that BA is low in that list. I would retire there but keep my money in another country and have some spare cash stored away