City comparison
Alameda, CA is about 325 miles (550 km) from Los Angeles, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 425 miles, or about 7 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Alameda, CA to Los Angeles, CA takes about 40 min, covering roughly 325 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Los Angeles has a population of 3,881,041, vs 77,565 in Alameda — about 50.0× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Alameda.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Alameda | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,301/mo | $1,791/mo | 28.5% higher in Alameda |
| Median home value | $1,147,600 | $822,600 | 39.5% higher in Alameda |
| Median household income | $129,917 | $76,244 | 70.4% higher in Alameda |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 106.4 | 1.6% higher in Alameda |
| Utilities index | 168.3 | 151.7 | 10.9% higher in Alameda |
| Transportation index | 106.1 | 104.0 | 2.0% higher in Alameda |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 104.3 | 1.6% higher in Alameda |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Alameda, you'd need $91,093 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 8.9% cheaper overall than Alameda, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% higher in Alameda than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Alameda, you'd need about $72,874 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.