Question 1

Is Los Angeles or San Francisco cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Los Angeles, CA is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $536/month less than in San Francisco, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,903/mo in Los Angeles versus $3,604/mo in San Francisco.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Los Angeles vs San Francisco?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $105,000/year before tax in Los Angeles, CA and $118,000/year in San Francisco, CA — a difference of about $13,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Los Angeles or San Francisco cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Los Angeles, 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 $15,429/month in San Francisco, including county-median childcare.

Question 4

Should I move to Los Angeles or San Francisco?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Los Angeles 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	San Francisco58
Est. monthly cost (single)	$5,329	$5,865
Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare)	$12,135	$15,429
Salary for comfort	$105,000/yr	$118,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,903	$3,604
Median home value	$879,500	$1,380,500
Median household income	$80,366	$141,446
Unemployment	5.3%	3.7%
Housing score	1	12
Jobs score	20	69
Safety score	47	62
Climate score	100	100
Amenities score	100	85
Population	3.9M	836.3K
Summer high / winter low	83° / 48°	67° / 46°

Los Angeles, CA vs San Francisco, CA