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 | Detroit | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $989/mo | $1,791/mo | 44.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $66,700 | $822,600 | 91.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $37,761 | $76,244 | 50.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.9 | 104.0 | 3.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 70.6 | 82.4 | 14.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 103.5 | 100.5 | 3.0% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 111.1 | 104.0 | 6.9% higher 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 Detroit, you'd need $181,090 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Detroit, MI is about 44.8% cheaper overall than Los Angeles, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 45% lower in Detroit than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Detroit, you'd need about $144,872 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.