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 | Columbia | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,105/mo | $1,791/mo | 38.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $226,200 | $822,600 | 72.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $54,095 | $76,244 | 29.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 99.0 | 104.0 | 4.9% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 95.8 | 82.4 | 16.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 82.8 | 100.5 | 17.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 96.3 | 104.0 | 7.3% 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 Columbia, you'd need $130,229 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbia, SC is about 23.2% cheaper overall than Los Angeles, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 38% lower in Columbia than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Columbia, you'd need about $104,183 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.