Question 1

Is Los Angeles or Sacramento cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Sacramento, CA is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $530/month less than in Los Angeles, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,903/mo in Los Angeles versus $2,255/mo in Sacramento.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Los Angeles vs Sacramento?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $105,000/year before tax in Los Angeles, CA and $92,500/year in Sacramento, CA — a difference of about $12,500. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Los Angeles or Sacramento cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Sacramento, the same answer as for a single person. Two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child run about $12,135/month in Los Angeles and $11,838/month in Sacramento, including county-median childcare.

Question 4

Should I move to Los Angeles or Sacramento?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Sacramento 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	Los Angeles49	Sacramento60
Est. monthly cost (single)	$5,329	$4,799
Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare)	$12,135	$11,838
Salary for comfort	$105,000/yr	$92,500/yr
Typical rent	$2,903	$2,255
Median home value	$879,500	$484,600
Median household income	$80,366	$83,753
Unemployment	5.3%	4.9%
Housing score	1	24
Jobs score	20	32
Safety score	47	67
Climate score	100	98
Amenities score	100	83
Population	3.9M	524.8K
Summer high / winter low	83° / 48°	93° / 41°

Los Angeles, CA vs Sacramento, CA