City comparison
Los Angeles, CA is about 325 miles (550 km) from San Mateo, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 400 miles, or about 6 h 45 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 San Mateo, CA takes about 39 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 104,165 in San Mateo — about 37.3× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for San Mateo.
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 | San Mateo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $2,971/mo | 65.9% higher in San Mateo |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $1,508,900 | 83.4% higher in San Mateo |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $149,152 | 95.6% higher in San Mateo |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 108.1 | 1.6% higher in San Mateo |
| Utilities index | 151.7 | 168.3 | 10.9% higher in San Mateo |
| Transportation index | 104.0 | 106.1 | 2.0% higher in San Mateo |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 106.0 | 1.6% higher in San Mateo |
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 $111,259 in San Mateo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 10.1% cheaper overall than San Mateo, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 18% higher in San Mateo than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $89,007 in San Mateo to keep the same standard of living.