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 | Durham | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,296/mo | $1,791/mo | 27.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $316,600 | $822,600 | 61.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $74,710 | $76,244 | 2.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 101.2 | 104.0 | 2.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 98.7 | 82.4 | 19.9% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 86.6 | 100.5 | 13.8% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 102.4 | 104.0 | 1.5% 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 Durham, you'd need $119,026 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Durham, NC is about 16% cheaper overall than Los Angeles, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 28% lower in Durham than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Durham, you'd need about $95,221 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.