Cost of Living: Salem, MA vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Salem, MA versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 26.23% of gross in Salem, MA versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Los Angeles, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Salem, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Salem, MA
26.23%
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 Salem, MA and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Salem, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Salem, MA: $1,710/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Salem, MA is $15/mo higher than in Los Angeles, CA.

Median Home Price

Salem, MA: $497,400 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $160,300 higher than in Salem, MA.

Median Household Income

Salem, MA: $85,137 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Salem, MA has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $10,352.

Salem, MA overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons