Question 1

Is Long Beach or Oakland cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Long Beach, CA is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $12/month less than in Oakland, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,903/mo in Long Beach versus $2,912/mo in Oakland.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Long Beach vs Oakland?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $105,000/year before tax in Long Beach, CA and $105,000/year in Oakland, CA — a difference of about $0. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Long Beach or Oakland cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Long Beach, the same answer as for a single person. Two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child run about $12,156/month in Long Beach and $14,608/month in Oakland, including county-median childcare.

Question 4

Should I move to Long Beach or Oakland?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Long Beach costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Long Beach48	Oakland40
Est. monthly cost (single)	$5,312	$5,324
Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare)	$12,156	$14,608
Salary for comfort	$105,000/yr	$105,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,903	$2,912
Median home value	$762,200	$924,700
Median household income	$83,969	$97,369
Unemployment	5.2%	4.6%
Housing score	4	6
Jobs score	22	36
Safety score	41	0
Climate score	100	100
Amenities score	91	71
Population	458.5K	438.1K
Summer high / winter low	82° / 46°	72° / 46°

Long Beach, CA vs Oakland, CA