City comparison
Los Angeles, CA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Pasadena, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 23 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 Los Angeles, CA to Pasadena, CA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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 137,554 in Pasadena — about 28.2× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Pasadena.
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 | Pasadena | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $2,100/mo | 17.3% higher in Pasadena |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $981,600 | 19.3% higher in Pasadena |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $97,818 | 28.3% higher in Pasadena |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 151.7 | 155.6 | 2.5% higher in Pasadena |
| Transportation index | 104.0 | 104.4 | ≈ equal (Pasadena slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal (Pasadena slightly higher) |
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 $101,002 in Pasadena to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 1% cheaper overall than Pasadena, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 1% higher in Pasadena than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $80,802 in Pasadena to keep the same standard of living.