Question 1

Is Los Angeles or Seattle cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Seattle, WA is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $1,279/month less than in Los Angeles, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,903/mo in Los Angeles versus $2,501/mo in Seattle.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Los Angeles vs Seattle?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $122,000/year before tax in Los Angeles, CA and $85,000/year in Seattle, WA — a difference of about $37,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Los Angeles or Seattle cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Seattle, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $11,266/month in Los Angeles and $8,905/month in Seattle, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Los Angeles or Seattle?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Seattle 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	Seattle60
Est. monthly cost (single)	$6,022	$4,743
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$11,266	$8,905
Salary for comfort	$122,000/yr	$85,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,903	$2,501
Median home value	$879,500	$912,100
Median household income	$80,366	$121,984
Unemployment	5.3%	4.5%
Housing score	2	35
Jobs score	25	36
Safety score	47	40
Climate score	100	92
Amenities score	100	90
Population	3.9M	741.4K
Summer high / winter low	89° / 47°	76° / 37°

Los Angeles, CA vs Seattle, WA