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 | $2,227/mo | $1,791/mo | 24.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $833,300 | $822,600 | 1.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $137,387 | $76,244 | 80.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 101.9 | 104.0 | 2.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 87.6 | 82.4 | 6.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 90.0 | 100.5 | 10.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 92.8 | 104.0 | 10.8% lower in A |
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 $80,425 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 19.6% cheaper overall than Arlington, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% lower in Los Angeles than in Arlington. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $64,340 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.