Cost of Living: Mesa, AZ vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,370/mo in Mesa, AZ versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 21.53% of gross in Mesa, AZ versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Mesa, AZ tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Mesa, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Mesa, AZ
21.53%
COLI tier: mid-range
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 Mesa, AZ and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Mesa, AZ
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Mesa, AZ
  • Lower home prices: Mesa, AZ
  • Higher median household income: Mesa, AZ

Cost of Living Index

Mesa, AZ: 98.8 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Mesa, AZ: $1,404/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $291/mo higher than in Mesa, AZ.

Median Home Price

Mesa, AZ: $364,300 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $293,400 higher than in Mesa, AZ.

Median Household Income

Mesa, AZ: $78,779 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Mesa, AZ has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $3,994.

Mesa, AZ overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons