Los Angeles vs Bakersfield
Los Angeles, CA · Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield is 40% cheaper than Los Angeles overall.
Home Price
Los: $860,000
Bakersfield: $340,000
Monthly Rent
Los: $2,050/mo
Bakersfield: $1,350/mo
COL Index
Los: 173
Bakersfield: 104
Median Income
Los: $76,000
Bakersfield: $65,200
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Los Angeles has the same purchasing power as $60,116 in Bakersfield — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Bakersfield cost 60% more (-$520,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Bakersfield saves you $700/month — $8,400 per year. Median rent: $2,050/mo in Los Angeles vs $1,350/mo in Bakersfield.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Los Angeles owners pay roughly $6,278/year in property taxes vs $2,550/year in Bakersfield. Rates are comparable.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $76,000 in Los Angeles and $65,200 in Bakersfield. Bakersfield residents earn 14% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 32 minutes in Los Angeles vs 25 minutes in Bakersfield. Over a year, that's 3500 extra minutes (58 hours) of commuting in Los Angeles.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Los Angeles to Bakersfield, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Los Angeles | Equivalent in Bakersfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $30,058 | -$19,942 |
| $75,000 | $45,087 | -$29,913 |
| $100,000 | $60,116 | -$39,884 |
| $150,000 | $90,173 | -$59,827 |
| $200,000 | $120,231 | -$79,769 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
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Cost of Living
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Property Tax Calculator
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Los Angeles vs Bakersfield: Common Questions
Is Los Angeles or Bakersfield cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Bakersfield is cheaper overall. Los Angeles has a COL index of 173 while Bakersfield scores 104 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Los Angeles and Bakersfield?
The median home price in Los Angeles is $860,000 vs $340,000 in Bakersfield — a difference of $520,000 (60%).
What salary do I need in Bakersfield to match my Los Angeles income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Los Angeles is equivalent to $60,116 in Bakersfield in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Los Angeles has a lower property tax rate (0.73% vs 0.75%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $2,550/year vs $6,278/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.