City comparison
Los Angeles, CA is about 325 miles (550 km) from Oakland, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 425 miles, or about 7 h 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 Los Angeles, CA to Oakland, CA takes about 40 min, covering roughly 325 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 437,825 in Oakland — about 8.9× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 56 sq mi for Oakland.
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 | Los Angeles | Oakland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $1,849/mo | 3.2% higher in Oakland |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $883,800 | 7.4% higher in Oakland |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $94,389 | 23.8% higher in Oakland |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 103.9 | 2.4% higher in Los Angeles |
| Utilities index | 151.7 | 162.7 | 7.2% higher in Oakland |
| Transportation index | 104.0 | 102.0 | 1.9% higher in Los Angeles |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.2 | 4.2% 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 Los Angeles, you'd need $106,809 in Oakland to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 6.4% cheaper overall than Oakland, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 13% higher in Oakland than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $85,447 in Oakland to keep the same standard of living.