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 $504/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 $122,000/year before tax in Los Angeles, CA and $110,000/year in Sacramento, CA — a difference of about $12,000. 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. A four-person household runs about $11,266/month in Los Angeles and $10,619/month in Sacramento, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

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 Angeles47	Sacramento56
Est. monthly cost (single)	$6,022	$5,518
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$11,266	$10,619
Salary for comfort	$122,000/yr	$110,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,903	$2,255
Median home value	$879,500	$484,600
Median household income	$80,366	$83,753
Unemployment	5.3%	4.3%
Housing score	2	26
Jobs score	25	34
Safety score	47	67
Climate score	100	98
Amenities score	100	83
Population	3.9M	524.8K
Summer high / winter low	89° / 47°	93° / 41°

Los Angeles, CA vs Sacramento, CA