City comparison
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 | Arlington | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,902/mo | $1,791/mo | 6.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $839,200 | $822,600 | 2.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,312 | $76,244 | 78.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 100.0 | 105.8 | 5.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 133.9 | 135.7 | 1.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.3 | 103.2 | 1.8% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 104.2 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Arlington, you'd need $105,602 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Arlington, MA is about 5.3% cheaper overall than Los Angeles, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% lower in Arlington than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $84,481 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.