Cost of living in Los Angeles: rent, homes and salary
For the cost of living in Los Angeles, the figure sits 13.6% above the US average. In 2024, the BEA regional price parity (RPP) of the Los Angeles, CA metro area was 113.6, with the US at 100. Housing on its own came to 170.4.
- Level of prices
- 113.6US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 170.4 for rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Los Angeles
A regional price parity measures how much one place pays for a given basket of goods and services, measured against a US average of 100. Los Angeles is part of the metro area called Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, and BEA prices the whole area as one. Housing (rents) sits furthest from the US average, at 170.4, or 70.4% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Los Angeles, CA metro | California | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 113.6 | 110.7 | +13.6% |
| Goods | 106.6 | 106.1 | +6.6% |
| Housing (rents) | 170.4 | 154.3 | +70.4% |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 158.9 | +58.6% |
| Other services | 104.4 | 102.6 | +4.4% |
Regional price parities for metro areas and states, 2024, from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. BEA regional price parities
Rent costs in Los Angeles
The Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) puts the typical asking rent in Los Angeles at $2,772 a month. It tracks rent on homes listed now, and it stands at +0.8% on a year. Across the US, the figure is $1,932. Census median gross rent is $1,958. That figure counts every renting household, not just new leases. Paying the asking rent for one year takes 40% of the median household income.
| Rent | Los Angeles | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $2,772 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +0.8% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,958 | $1,487 |
| One year of asking rent as a portion of median income | 40% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; figures from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024, which are one-year estimates.
Los Angeles home prices
By the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), a typical Los Angeles home was worth $927,891 in September 2026. The index tracks the value of typical homes in the middle of the market. The year-on-year change is −0.5%, while the US figure is $366,157. The price works out to 11.3 years of median household income; the US figure is 4.5.
| Home prices | Los Angeles | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $927,891 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | −0.5% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +73.2% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 11.3 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 27.9 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast and the price chart since 2000: Los Angeles housing market.
The salary you need to live in Los Angeles
The salary you need in Los Angeles comes down to two questions: where you live, and what you earn. It is the pay that buys what your pay buys now.
- Moving from
- Salary
The method plus every city, side by side: city cost of living comparison.
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Los Angeles cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Typical rent figure | Typical value of a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| San Diego | 111.9 | 179.3 | $3,004 | $980,490 |
| San Jose | 110.4 | 211.9 | $3,582 | $1,353,869 |
| San Francisco | 115.6 | 194.7 | $4,784 | $1,441,021 |
| Fresno | 102.2 | 95.7 | $1,945 | $384,885 |
| Sacramento | 106.7 | 130.2 | $2,045 | $470,552 |
| Long Beach | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,412 | $852,391 |
| Oakland | 115.6 | 194.7 | $2,758 | $710,647 |
| Bakersfield | 100.9 | 90.3 | $1,901 | $385,686 |
Price levels, with US = 100, come from BEA regional price parities 2024. Rent: Zillow ZORI. Home value comes from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities, ranked: cost of living comparison by city. Each state: cost of living by state.