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 | El Cajon | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,686/mo | $1,791/mo | 5.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $593,500 | $822,600 | 27.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $64,128 | $76,244 | 15.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 106.5 | 104.0 | 2.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 129.0 | 82.4 | 56.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 109.6 | 100.5 | 9.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.7 | 104.0 | 6.5% 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 El Cajon, you'd need $96,880 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 3.1% cheaper overall than El Cajon, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in El Cajon than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in El Cajon, you'd need about $77,504 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.