City comparison
Cupertino, CA is about 300 miles (500 km) from Los Angeles, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 375 miles, or about 6 h 15 min 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 Cupertino, CA to Los Angeles, CA takes about 37 min, covering roughly 300 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 59,763 in Cupertino — about 64.9× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 11 sq mi for Cupertino.
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 | Cupertino | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501/mo | $1,791/mo | 95.5% higher in Cupertino |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $822,600 | 143.1% higher in Cupertino |
| Median household income | $223,667 | $76,244 | 193.4% higher in Cupertino |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 106.4 | 1.3% higher in Los Angeles |
| Utilities index | 153.8 | 151.7 | 1.4% higher in Cupertino |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 104.0 | 3.3% higher in Los Angeles |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 104.3 | 3.7% higher in Los Angeles |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cupertino, you'd need $87,178 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 12.8% cheaper overall than Cupertino, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% higher in Cupertino than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Cupertino, you'd need about $69,742 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.