San Francisco vs Los Angeles
Salary equivalence calculator
Price-level ratio 0.850. Adjust to recalculate.
| Metric | San Francisco | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price level index (NYC=100) | 96.5 | 82.0 | -15.0% |
| Rent index (NYC=100) | 104.2 | 78.0 | -25.1% |
| Equivalent of $120,000 | $120,000 | $101,969 | cheaper |
- Los Angeles is about 15% cheaper than San Francisco, so the same lifestyle costs less.
How far does your salary go in Los Angeles?
Moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles changes your cost of living in ways a currency conversion can't capture. What matters is purchasing power: how much the same basket of housing, food, transport and services costs in each place. On our index, where New York City = 100, San Francisco sits at 96.5 and Los Angeles at 82.0.
That makes Los Angeles roughly 15% cheaper. A salary of $120,000 in San Francisco translates to about $101,969 in Los Angeles. Above that and you gain in real terms; below it and you take an effective pay cut.
Housing drives the gap
Rent is the largest and most variable line in most budgets. Los Angeles's rent index is 78.0 versus San Francisco's 104.2.
Common mistakes
- Converting currency instead of purchasing power.
- Ignoring taxes, which vary by jurisdiction.
- Forgetting one-off relocation costs.
Bottom line
Los Angeles is about 15% cheaper than San Francisco, so the same lifestyle costs less. Use the calculator to plug in your real salary and compare against any concrete offer.
Rent equivalence: San Francisco vs Los Angeles
Based on the rent-index ratio of 0.749 (San Francisco 104.2 vs Los Angeles 78.0, NYC = 100).
Housing is usually the biggest single difference between two cities, and it moves independently of the overall price level. Renting the equivalent home in Los Angeles costs about 25% less than in San Francisco. Enter your actual rent above to see what a like-for-like place would cost after you move — a more honest gauge of affordability than a raw salary conversion, since renters and owners feel very different impacts.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do I need in Los Angeles to match San Francisco?
To keep the same standard of living as $120,000 in San Francisco, you would need roughly $101,969 in Los Angeles, a price-level ratio of 0.85.
Is Los Angeles more expensive than San Francisco?
No, it is about 15% cheaper overall.
How much is rent in Los Angeles compared to San Francisco?
Rent in Los Angeles is about 25% lower than in San Francisco (rent indices 104.2 vs 78.0, NYC = 100). Use the rent calculator on this page for your exact figure.
How is the equivalent salary calculated?
We multiply your salary by the ratio of the two cities' composite price-level indices (housing, food, transport, services), benchmarked so New York City = 100.
Methodology
We build a composite price-level index for each city from official regional price parities and international purchasing-power parities across housing, food, transport and services, normalized so New York City = 100. The equivalent salary is your salary multiplied by the ratio of the destination index to the origin index. It estimates the income needed to hold real purchasing power constant and does not model taxes.