Per diem · LA · GSA FY2027 from October 1, 2026
Per diem rates in Louisiana, FY2027
Louisiana counts parishes rather than counties, and only 7 of them appear in the FY2027 GSA file, split between two areas.
GSA FY2027 ZIP file published · rates checked · Published by Radif Partners · Rules and data
Federal per diem for the trip
$766
New Orleans, LA · Sun, Oct 25 to Wed, Oct 28
| Lodging, 3 nights at the GSA maximum | $486 |
| M&IE before meal deductions | $280 |
| M&IE paid | $280 |
| Total | $766 |
Rates of fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027). How this is calculated.
Day by day
| Day | Lodging | M&IE rate | Share | Meals off | M&IE paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Oct 25 FY2027 | $162 | $80 | 75% | – | $60 |
| Mon, Oct 26 FY2027 | $162 | $80 | 100% | – | $80 |
| Tue, Oct 27 FY2027 | $162 | $80 | 100% | – | $80 |
| Wed, Oct 28 FY2027 | – | $80 | 75% | – | $60 |
- GSA areas above the standard rate
- 2
- Highest lodging maximum
- $188
- Where
- New Orleans
- Everywhere else
- $113 + $68
Louisiana per diem in FY2027 tops out at $188 a night in New Orleans (Orleans and Jefferson parishes) in February, March, April and May, drops to $138 in June, July and August, and sits at $162 the rest of the year, always with $80 of M&IE. The area of Alexandria, Leesville and Natchitoches pays $118 with the base $68 meal rate. Every other parish takes the standard $113 and $68. The figures apply from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. Picking the month matters in New Orleans: four nights from March 15 to 19, 2027 are worth $1,112.00 at the federal cap, the same four nights from July 12 to 16 only $912.00, a gap of $200.00. The calculator above opens on New Orleans; enter a Louisiana city or ZIP code to switch.
Parishes in the GSA file
GSA writes Louisiana locations as parishes, and the ZIP file follows the same boundaries. New Orleans means Orleans and Jefferson parishes together, so Kenner and Gretna carry the city rate as well. The second area stretches across 5 parishes: Allen, Jefferson Davis, Natchitoches, Rapides and Vernon. It is the cheaper of the two on the voucher, $118 a night all year, up from $112 in FY2026, and its $68 M&IE is the same as a parish with no listing. A traveler bound for a site in Vernon or Allen Parish therefore gains $5 a night over the standard and nothing on meals.
New Orleans: costly in spring, softest in summer
The New Orleans year has three steps. February, March, April and May pay $188, up from $179 in FY2026. June, July and August fall to $138. October to January and September sit in between at $162. Here the low season is the middle of summer, so an employer with a flexible training calendar saves most by scheduling it in June. The day-by-day table of the calculator shows the step when a stay runs from August into September.
New Orleans, LA: per diem for a stay
Lodging + M&IE at the federal maximum
$766
| Lodging: 3 × $162 | $486 |
| M&IE: 2 travel days at $60 | $120 |
| M&IE: 2 full days at $80 | $160 |
Lodging taxes on top; provided meals are deducted in the full calculator.
Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Lafayette on the base rate
The large cities outside these 7 parishes have no line of their own: Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish), Shreveport (Caddo Parish), Lafayette (Lafayette Parish), Lake Charles (Calcasieu Parish) and Bossier City (Bossier Parish) all take $113 and $68, with $51.00 of M&IE on the first and last day. Fuel is cheaper than the national figure: the EIA Gulf Coast average was $3.911 a gallon of regular in the week of October 5, 2026, against $4.354 nationally, and diesel $5.819. At the IRS rate of 76 cents a mile, a driver with an efficient car keeps a wider margin over fuel here than in a state with dearer gasoline.
Fuel for a drive at Gulf Coast (Louisiana) prices
Fuel cost
$41.90
| 10.7 gal × $3.911 | $41.90 |
| Per mile | $0.14 |
| Same miles at the IRS rate ($0.76) | $228 |
The gas cost calculator works out the fuel for any trip at this price.
Every GSA area in Louisiana: FY2027 against FY2026
| GSA area | Counties or limits | Lodging FY2027 | M&IE | Lodging FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | Orleans / Jefferson Parishes | $138 to $188 | $80 | $133 to $179 |
| Alexandria / Leesville / Natchitoches | Allen / Jefferson Davis / Natchitoches / Rapides / Vernon Parishes | $118 | $68 | $112 |
| Rest of the state | All other counties | $113 | $68 | $110 |