New York vs Los Angeles
New York, NY · Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles is 7% cheaper than New York overall.
Home Price
New: $750,000
Los: $860,000
Monthly Rent
New: $3,600/mo
Los: $2,050/mo
COL Index
New: 187
Los: 173
Median Income
New: $76,607
Los: $76,000
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 New York has the same purchasing power as $92,513 in Los Angeles — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Los Angeles are 15% cheaper (-$110,000 less). That's a significant down payment and monthly payment difference.
Renting
Renting in Los Angeles saves you $1,550/month — $18,600 per year. Median rent: $3,600/mo in New York vs $2,050/mo in Los Angeles.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, New York owners pay roughly $12,750/year in property taxes vs $6,278/year in Los Angeles. That's a $6,472 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $76,607 in New York and $76,000 in Los Angeles. Incomes are similar, so cost of living differences matter more.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 36 minutes in New York vs 32 minutes in Los Angeles. Commute times are nearly identical.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from New York to Los Angeles, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in New York | Equivalent in Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $46,257 | -$3,743 |
| $75,000 | $69,385 | -$5,615 |
| $100,000 | $92,513 | -$7,487 |
| $150,000 | $138,770 | -$11,230 |
| $200,000 | $185,027 | -$14,973 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
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Rent vs Buy
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Cost of Living
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Property Tax Calculator
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New York Calculators
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Related Comparisons
New York vs Los Angeles: Common Questions
Is New York or Los Angeles cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Los Angeles is cheaper overall. New York has a COL index of 187 while Los Angeles scores 173 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between New York and Los Angeles?
The median home price in New York is $750,000 vs $860,000 in Los Angeles — a difference of $110,000 (15%).
What salary do I need in Los Angeles to match my New York income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in New York is equivalent to $92,513 in Los Angeles in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Los Angeles has a lower property tax rate (0.73% vs 1.7%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $6,278/year vs $12,750/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.