Cost of Living: Los Angeles, CA vs New York, NY

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA versus $4,116/mo in New York, NY. In the model, rent is about 25.99% of gross in Los Angeles, CA versus 25.92% in New York, NY, so New York, NY tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in New York, NY
$4,116/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Los Angeles, CA
25.99%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in New York, NY
25.92%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100) · New York, NY: 168.2 (U.S. = 100)

Los Angeles, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than New York, NY, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · New York, NY: $1,690/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $5/mo higher than in New York, NY.

Median Home Price

Los Angeles, CA: $657,700 · New York, NY: $751,700

Median home price in New York, NY is $94,000 higher than in Los Angeles, CA.

Median Household Income

Los Angeles, CA: $74,785 · New York, NY: $79,713

New York, NY has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $4,928.

Los Angeles, CA overview · New York, NY overview · Popular comparisons