How Much Does It Cost to Live In Los Angeles, CA?
The city of Los Angeles (also known worldwide) simply as L.A., and nicknamed the “City of Angels”) is the most populous city in California and probably one of the most popular ones in the entire continent.
It is located in Southern California and surrounded by pretty much everything: mountains, valleys, forests, beaches along the Pacific Ocean, and nearby desert.
Compared to the vast majority of other places in the US, Los Angeles is expensive.
Rent and house prices are perhaps where it’s mostly visible.
United States : Cost of Living by City
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baltimore, MD
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Brooklyn, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fort Myers, FL
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lexington, KY
- Little Rock, AR
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lubbock, TX
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Olympia, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Peoria, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, ME
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Reno, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Salem, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- Syracuse, NY
- Tacoma, WA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Wichita, KS
RESTAURANTS
Eating out isn’t too expensive, especially compared to, for instance, Fresno.
Plus, there are a few places that offer happy hours.
You can find all kinds of good cuisines and food places here.
Usually, people that are not well off do not eat in fancy restaurants, since a meal in an inexpensive restaurant here will cost you around 24$.
MARKETS
Food/groceries are less expensive than eating out, especially if you buy a lot of fresh produce.
There are farmers’ markets all over the place, and while they are not always a bargain, sometimes they are.
Then there’s Trader Joe’s, which is a great deal for almost everything: wine, nuts, cheese, milk, butter, all dairy, frozen foods, pasta, packaged foods, etc., and you can find one within a few miles of anywhere in Los Angeles.
TRANSPORTATION
Although a city of the size of Los Angeles has to have an extensive bus system and a great subway and elevated network to boot, it still doesn’t satisfy the citizens considering the region’s population and size.
Taxes are another major issue since California has one of the highest state taxes in the nation, exceeded only by New York.
Almost everything else is also more costly, such as gas, food, entertainment, and even parking fines.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities vary but you can calculate a rough $179.5 per month which includes paying for trash, water, and sewer.
There are other costs such as apartment insurance and others.
Still, don’t forget that the price of utilities does depend on the amount of electricity you use and on the size of your apartment.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Practicing sports or going to the gym in Los Angeles is rather expensive.
A gym or a fitness club membership will cost you around 50$.
The entertainment is various, with the city center literally brimming with all kinds of cinemas, theaters, and other forms of leisure.
A cinema ticket will cost you a whopping 16$ per seat.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Los Angeles is actually known around the world for its wide range of shopping traditions and destinations.
Shopping malls will dominate your shopping trip because you literally cannot escape them while in this city.
If you’re set on shopping in Los Angeles, you should get familiar with the prices right away.
Quality jeans will cost you around 60$, and you won’t find any good running sneakers without cashing out close to 101$.
RENT PER MONTH
Renting an apartment is very expensive in Los Angeles, the prices of rent probably exceeded only by New York.
A one-bedroom apartment in the city will cost you well over 2600$, but you could also get a fantastic apartment for 4000$, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room if you’re looking for a bigger one, for the whole family.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Los Angeles, CA
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $24.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $8.00 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $2.33 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.23 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $4.37 |
| Eggs (12) | $5.73 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.75 |
| Monthly Pass | $95.00 |
| Gasoline | $1.35 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $179.5 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.13 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $73.66 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $50.51 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $11.0 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $16.00 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $59.33 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $40.54 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $101.76 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $2676.25 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $2120.28 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $4621.88 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Los Angeles, CA?
Not surprisingly at all, for a popular city in California where rent is through the roof, the biggest expense of living in Los Angeles is rent.
Rent takes up over 43% of all income, which is a shockingly high percentage and just goes to show how expensive rent is in this city.
Food is definitely the next biggest expense for anyone living in Los Angeles – though this is the situation in most countries around the world.
Utilities and sports are almost the same, percentage-wise, with only a 3% difference in favor of utilities.
Average Costs Breakdown
Los Angeles, CA: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
The job market is really strong in Los Angeles.
The entertainment industry – which attracts hundreds of hopefuls each month is what makes the most money in this city, along with major corporations also based in LA that attract talents from all over the U.S.
With huge rent prices, it’s difficult to save money, and even more difficult to purchase a home without having an income of over $100k.
The average monthly salary in Los Angeles is around 5800$, while the minimum wage is just a bit over 2000$.
Los Angeles Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Los Angeles Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: HIGH
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
