Cost of Living: Jersey City, NJ vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,144/mo in Jersey City, NJ versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 27.72% of gross in Jersey City, NJ versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Los Angeles, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Jersey City, NJ
$4,144/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Jersey City, NJ
27.72%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Los Angeles, CA
25.99%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Jersey City, NJ and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Los Angeles, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Los Angeles, CA
  • Lower home prices: Jersey City, NJ
  • Higher median household income: Jersey City, NJ

Cost of Living Index

Jersey City, NJ: 155.6 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

Los Angeles, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Jersey City, NJ, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Jersey City, NJ: $1,807/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Jersey City, NJ is $112/mo higher than in Los Angeles, CA.

Median Home Price

Jersey City, NJ: $534,500 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $123,200 higher than in Jersey City, NJ.

Median Household Income

Jersey City, NJ: $94,813 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Jersey City, NJ has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $20,028.

Jersey City, NJ overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons