Head to head
Long Beach, CA vs Los Angeles, CA
Long Beach is cheaper — estimated essentials for a single person run about $17/mo less, and living comfortably there takes roughly $0 less in annual salary (taxes included).
It flips for a family. For two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child, Los Angeles is the cheaper of the two — rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and childcare varies even more sharply between cities than rent does.
| Metric | Long Beach48 | Los Angeles49 |
|---|---|---|
| Est. monthly cost (single) | $5,312 | $5,329 |
| Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare) | $12,156 | $12,135 |
| Salary for comfort | $105,000/yr | $105,000/yr |
| Typical rent | $2,903 | $2,903 |
| Median home value | $762,200 | $879,500 |
| Median household income | $83,969 | $80,366 |
| Unemployment | 5.2% | 5.3% |
| Housing score | 4 | 1 |
| Jobs score | 22 | 20 |
| Safety score | 41 | 47 |
| Climate score | 100 | 100 |
| Amenities score | 91 | 100 |
| Population | 458.5K | 3.9M |
| Summer high / winter low | 82° / 46° | 83° / 48° |
Fit scores use the reference profile (single, $6,700/mo gross, default weights). Green marks the better value per row.
Long Beach, CA
Los Angeles, CA