Cost of Living in Los Angeles, CA (2026)

Los Angeles's cost of living is 14% above the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $88,055 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

Los Angeles has a cost-of-living index of 114 against a US average of 100 — about 14% above average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $88,055 at the national average.

What it costs to live in Los Angeles

MeasureLos AngelesUS average
Cost-of-living index114100
Median rent$1,879/mo-
Median home value$879,500-
Median household income$80,366-
Population3,857,897-

Monthly cost breakdown in Los Angeles

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$1,879$5,108
Transport$1,247$1,247
Food$981$981
Healthcare$616$616
Other$2,190$2,190
Total$6,914$10,143

Affordability in Los Angeles

Median rent takes about 28.1% of the median household income in Los Angeles — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 10.9x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in Los Angeles

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Marketing Manager$165,030$145,316
Software Developer$153,560$135,217
Registered Nurse$129,000$113,590
Data Scientist$124,810$109,901
Police Officer$113,460$99,907
Mechanical Engineer$104,990$92,448
Physical Therapist$103,930$91,515
Financial Analyst$102,550$90,300

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for Los Angeles’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

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Frequently asked questions

Los Angeles has a cost-of-living index of 114 against a US average of 100, so it is about 14% above the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in Los Angeles has roughly the purchasing power of $88,055 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At Los Angeles's median rent of $1,879/month that implies about $75,160 a year before tax. The median household in Los Angeles earns $80,366.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $6,914 a month in Los Angeles across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $10,143 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in Los Angeles costs $879,500, which is 10.9x the median household income of $80,366. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so Los Angeles is expensive relative to local incomes.